If you are a fan of any type of sporting event you have likely seen the increase in the amount of live streaming coverage that is provided online. ESPN has been a big trendsetter in this area and has several networks that are streamed entirely online. This allows ESPN and other broadcasters to still broadcast many of the smaller market sporting events to rabid fans across the country.
You may think that you have to have a huge following like one of the big television networks to stream live HD sporting events, but with emerging technologies this is no longer the case. Thanks to the availability of high speed Internet access almost anywhere, anyone can be up and running with a live streaming sports broadcast in no time at all.
If you are deciding to stream a live sporting event there are several things that you should keep in mind to ensure that your viewers are able to sufficiently experience your broadcast. Failing to deliver on these key points can drastically affect the number of people that will want to watch your broadcast.
Connection Speed
When you are streaming video live, connection speed is very important. We often think about connection speed only being important for the viewer, but it is also equally important for the person or group of people who are creating the streaming content. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting at home trying to stream a video that will simply not load due to buffering or other connection issues. Don’t make the mistake of relying on a spotty Internet connection when you are shooting your live HD sporting event.
High Quality Video Camera
While it is true that you can stream video from something as simple as a smartphone, this is not recommended for live streaming of HD sporting events. Smartphones have their place when it comes to video, but a high quality video camera is a much better fit when high-speed sports action is involved. You will want a camera that offers high-powered zoom, low light sensitivity, optical image stabilization and a high quality LCD screen. There are a variety of cameras that can meet your needs that may cost a bit more, but will be well worth it when it comes time to stream your content.
Reliable Content Delivery Network
For streaming live events online, there is not much that is more important than the content delivery network that is used to disseminate your content out to the masses. Think of a content delivery network as the backbone upon which people will access your content. This backbone must be able to deal with constant spikes in traffic without causing added buffering or interruptions. A content delivery network such as TikiLIVE will grow as you grow, intelligently scaling as the demand for your streaming content increases. This allows you to focus on creating high quality live streaming sporting events without worrying about how the content will be seen and heard by the masses.
Multiple Encoding Options
Another important feature to consider when you are choosing a content delivery provider is the types of encoding options that are supported. Thanks to TikiLIVE’s Monster Encoder, you can upload files in a variety of formats and allow TikiLIVE’s servers to do the dirty work of encoding the content so that it is viewable across a multitude of devices.
User Friendly Interface
When choosing a content provider, you want to work with a company that offers a user-friendly interface that is easy for even a novice videographer to use. TikiLIVE offers a web based, extremely user-friendly portal that gives you the ability to upload and access all of your video content. Not only can you upload and view all of your content, but you can also access TikiLIVE’s robust analytics platform to see how well your videos are performing. Having this added level of analysis can really allow you to find areas of improvement and tweak your video content based on what your viewers prefer to see.
Mobile Friendly Options
When you are streaming live HD sporting events, you must not forget about your mobile audience. If you go to any public place across America you will see scores of young people as well as adults glued to their smartphones. Many of these individuals are watching videos – some of them are likely even watching live sporting events. If you are not catering to this audience, by some accounts you could be losing half your audience from the start.
Don’t make the mistake of starting out significantly behind the curve in terms of viewership. Utilize a platform like TikiLIVE, which offers full HTML5 compatibility for all of your video content. This simply means that your content will be viewable on any device whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, PC or even IPTV devices from manufacturers such as Roku.
Social Media Sharing Capabilities
Another important consideration to think about with your video content is how easy will it be to share across your social media networks. Social media is an incredible marketing tool when used effectively. If you have a loyal social media following, your fans will be more than willing to watch your content and likely share it with their friends and family. With TikiLIVE, sharing your content on popular social media networks like Facebook and Twitter is as easy as clicking a button. Be sure not to miss out on this integration when you begin streaming live HD videos.
Are You Ready To Broadcast Live HD Sporting Events?
Streaming sporting events online is both relatively inexpensive and a lot of fun. If you are ready to partner with a content delivery network that will take you to the goal line and beyond, give TikiLIVE a call today at (305) 289-4557. With years of experience helping our customers’ stream live events online, we would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have. We offer support over the phone as well as through email and live chat on our website.
