This is the third article in our Roadmap to Success: SportsEngine Play series. Explore the full series and learn more about what SportsEngine Play can offer you here.
You’ve determined your video strategy and loaded in your games and events; now it’s time to figure out who and how (i.e. who will stream your games, and how will they stream?).
What live sports broadcasting equipment should you use to stream?
1. Learn the Requirements from the Provider You Selected
This determines what types of cameras your team is required to use. If you’ve selected SportsEngine Play, you can use almost any type of mobile camera or fixed device that you have on hand. To ensure the best quality, make sure you use a more up-to-date mobile device if that is the route that is best for your organization and content creators.
2. Ensure a Steady Live Stream
Once you’ve figured out your cameras, a few additional items are useful for a successful live stream. We recommend using a tripod or phone mount whenever possible to keep the live stream steady and avoid tired arms from your volunteers.
3. Never Run Out of Battery
Last but not least, nothing is worse than running out of battery while you are live streaming; ensure you have a fully charged portable charging device to ensure you don’t miss a single moment of the action.
Now that we’ve determined the ‘What,’ it’s time to find out who will live-stream your games.
1. Find a Trustworthy Partner for Events
If you followed our last step, you would have set up a video strategy and rolled out a plan for your organization, making this next step simple. Determine who on each team should be counted on to live-stream games. Do you have a volunteer program already for parents to set up events, bring snacks, carpool, etc.? Add video as one of the roles! If not, find that parent or fan who loves taking pictures or who might already be recording games.
Pro Tip: Send an email asking for volunteers and their experience level so you know if they need more training and help than others. You will also want to send out these training links to ensure everyone has what they need for success.
2. Does Your Team Have a Fixed Camera?
If you have a facility with a fixed camera, or this interests you, check out this helpful article to learn more. Likely, you won't need as many volunteers to help record games, but there will be additional upfront costs. SportsEngine Play works for any camera and any level of recorder; reach out to talk to an expert about what might work best for you and your organization.
Pro Tip: In SportsEngine Play, the person live streaming actually gets a free Premier subscription ($100 value!) for their volunteering. Use this as a hook to get yourself a dependable streamer.
Continue on to Phase 4 of the Roadmap: Start Broadcasting Your Season
About Marie Fitzgerald
Marie Fitzgerald is a Director, Product Marketing & Content Strategy at NBC Sports Next. She currently works to ensure the customer's voice is ever present in the way we build, communicate, and improve the SportsEngine platform. She is also the co-host of the For the Love of Sport podcast, celebrating the stories and people who make youth sports happen.
Marie grew up playing soccer and basketball, and you can find a Bucky Badger bobblehead, a Chicago Cubs W flag, and a Man City scarf proudly displayed on or around her home desk in Whitefish, Montana. Marie was recently named to the Augsburg Women's Athletics All-Decade Team for the 2010s.
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