High school football is one of the most popular sports in America, and live streaming play a valuable role in promoting its popularity.
It’s an incredibly cost-effective form of advertising for schools and intramural sports teams to raise money. A single high school game will typically attract between 1,000 and 5,000 spectators and can be broadcast live online with a streaming service for very reasonable per-session viewing fees. It’s no surprise then that so many schools are starting to offer live streamed high school football.
To help you get started, we’ve prepared this helpful guide detailing everything you need to know about broadcasting games with a live stream solution. Keep reading to learn about eleven ways to set up a football live stream.
What Is Live Streaming?
First, let’s take a look at the basics.
Live streaming is the process of transmitting video, audio, and/or data in whatever form over the Internet. You can either live stream a live event — such as a high school football game — or use live stream options to create and share recorded content.
When you live stream a high school football game, you’re essentially creating a live television show. Live streaming services connect you with a global audience, while recorded content helps you expand your reach by allowing people to watch your games on the go. Plus, you can always use a video editor like Adobe Premiere or iMovie to create a polished broadcast.
Broadcast Strategies for High School Games
Attracting a larger audience can be challenging for high school football games.
Obviously, they don’t have the reach and fan base of college and national games. So it’s best to start small with a few select games and work up as your popularity grows. You can promote your live stream of high school sports through social media, press releases, and your school website.
Also, you should consider creating a mobile app to target a mobile audience. When choosing your games, keep in mind that high school football games are usually played on weekends.
Maximizing the viewership of your streams shouldn’t be too difficult. Since high school football games fall on Friday nights, when many people are off work and ready to start the weekend, there’s a built-in audience that can spend time watching sporting events on television or online.
How Much Does It Cost to Stream a Game?
The cost very much depends on the specific live stream options you choose.
You can use one service for both live streaming and recording, or you can use multiple streaming services to reach an even larger audience. To stream a high school football game, you’ll usually pay between $10 and $50 per viewing session.
Another great reason to live stream high school football is that you can expect to earn money from ad revenue and revenue-sharing agreements.
How to Live Stream High School Football
There are two main types of live streaming platforms: cloud-based and device-based.
Cloud-based platforms track and archive your streams on a server. You broadcast from your computer and access the streaming service from any Internet-enabled device, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Device-based streaming services work with specific streaming devices, such as the Amazon Fire Stick or Google Chromecast.
You can stream live from your computer or record content to watch later from any Internet-enabled device. Device-based live streaming services offer more flexibility than cloud-based services, but cloud-based options are cheaper and more convenient.
So let’s take a closer look at eleven different ways to live stream high school football.
1. FuboTV
FuboTV is a popular choice for do-it-yourselfers.
The Fubo 7-day free trial offer gives you a chance to test drive the service. After that, it costs about $20 for the first month and then increases to $45 per month.
One of its more popular features is that it includes live feeds of Fox in many different markets. Fubo comes with a number of different channel bundles (Sports, News, Lifestyle, Kids, Heartland, Comedy, etc.) and is compatible with all the major streaming devices.
Viewers can also use the included DVR capabilities to record and rewatch live streams at any time, with up to 30 hours included in base packages.
2. Striv TV
Striv TV is a live video streaming platform that was designed for schools to live stream events online. The platform also provides the needed resources, support, and training for the production of high-quality broadcasts. That includes the equipment, software, communication systems, etc., that are needed to live stream high school football.
3. WSN Live
One of the most comprehensive and popular live streaming services for high school sports is WSN Live, which provides all the equipment and know-how needed to stream games in the best possible quality.
The important thing is that WSN Live takes all the guesswork out of the whole process, so you have just the right pieces of equipment, as well as all the needed support staff to help your live stream take off without a hitch.
4. IBM Video Streaming
IBM Video Streaming is a cloud-based video platform that can be a good solution for live streaming events, including high school football.
Again, this one only really works for those that are already familiar with live stream technology. The platform is fairly easy to use, with a number of different options and solutions.
It is particularly useful for employee communications, commercial or academic conferences, concerts or entertainment, as well as sporting events.
5. PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue is another option for DIY live-streamers.
The platform offers a variety of channels at four different subscription plans, which is helpful for your potential viewers. Because of its popularity, PlayStation Vue is a decent way to reach fans of high school sports. However, unlike services such as WSN Live, it doesn’t provide any support or help with live streaming and equipment troubleshooting.
6. Boxcast
Boxcast is a live streaming platform that includes many useful services.
It’s fairly simple and easy to use, with an intuitive device; however, the app can be glitchy. Overall, Boxcast can be a good way to begin broadcasting your live-streamed sports events. Keep in mind, however, that it is an expensive service, with plans starting at $99/month.
7. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a popular streaming service. One its most important assets is that it comes with a built-in audience, and people are already familiar with using it.
As a cloud-based live-streaming service, YouTube TV requires you to broadcast from your computer. You can also add graphics and use your webcam or microphone to broadcast to an unlimited global audience.
Because cloud-based services like this allow you to store your videos, they are usually the most convenient. After all, you don’t have to worry about storage space, bandwidth, or setup.
8. Vimeo Livestream
Vimeo Livestream is another useful tool for live stream DIYers. It includes all the equipment and support features you’ll need. There’s also a comprehensive dashboard so you can check live stream analytics and other data.
The problem, of course, is that you need to be thoroughly familiar with tech and live stream methods. For most schools and administrators, this is hardly a possibility, and Vimeo Livestream doesn’t provide the kind of help that services like WSN Live or Boxcast do.
9. BlueFrame
BlueFrame provides streaming and event production services to athletic programs to help them reach fans and even earn revenue.
With BlueFrame, schools can produce, manage, and distribute content to the various live-streaming platforms. The service also provides support backup, and a whole slew of equipment to help schools and sports teams produce some pretty high-quality live broadcasts.
10. Switcher Studio
Switcher Studio is a new software solution that makes it possible to produce a quality football live stream using just iPhones and iPads.
It’s possible to link multiple iOS devices to create a multi-camera broadcast, then broadcast it live to Facebook, YouTube, or other platform. This is really only a good option for those who are tech savvy; this is very much a DIY platform, with little support services included.
11. Restream
With Restream, you can live stream on multiple social platforms with a custom broadcast.
The software also lets you add your logo, branded graphics, overlays, etc. You can even schedule pre-recorded videos to broadcast live. You can also upload and store videos on the cloud and record your live streams to make them available for download later on.
However, Restream is restricted in the number of users that can be invited to join the stream, so that may limit its usefulness for watching sports.
Get The Most With the Best Live Stream Option
There’s no denying the popularity of high school football, and it’s easy to see why. The sport lends itself perfectly to online streaming, and it’s fairly inexpensive to get started.
With a bit of effort, you can live stream high school football and make an impact on your school and community. We’ve looked in this article at some of the best options to live stream high school football, but we think the real choice is pretty clear.
Without question, WSN Live packs the most punch of all these streaming options. When it comes to support, production help, and equipment services, WSN Live is the clear winner. So go ahead and contact us today to see how we can help take your high school sports streaming to the next level.