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The intentional delay between live play and public broadcast to prevent stream sniping in pro matches.
Every major esports broadcast sits on a delay, usually three to seven minutes. The delay prevents opposing teams and stream snipers from gaining real-time information about rotations, positions, or picks. It also lets production catch anything sensitive before it airs. Social media reacts faster than the official feed, so results spoil on Twitter before the broadcast shows them.
Example
Valorant Champions Tour runs a five-minute broadcast delay, and LoL Worlds uses similar timing. During Dota 2's TI, Valve enforces strict venue phone checks because even a few minutes of insider info can shift hundreds of thousands of dollars in betting.
Why it matters
Broadcast latency is the invisible infrastructure keeping competitive integrity intact. Without it, in-venue fans and stream snipers would have an unfair real-time information edge, and the entire pro scene would need a different security model.
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