The best matches aren’t necessarily played in a rolling stadium fitted with swanky arc lights and stippled with celebrity players. They most often happen in your own backyard, as your little one learns how to kick a ball or score a homerun for the first time. These little moments can be priceless and it’s natural to want to follow them through your kitchen window. Except, as your child grows, you’re likely to miss more and more of these moments. Your backyard will be replaced by your child’s schoolyard and you will be slowly eclipsed by a tribe of little minions. In time, you will be relegated to the sidelines. Literally. But therein lies an opportunity. Along with you, there may be hundreds of other parents wanting to follow their child’s matches at school or on the field. And there’s a perfect solution to keep them clued in while making some moolah on the side. Say hello to online sports streaming.

A Keyhole Into Online Sports Streaming:

The sports sector is poised to reach close to $74 billion by 2019. But this colossal number doesn’t only speak of the multi-million dollar celebrity sports teams that form the face of the sector. It also mirrors thousands of backyard stories that could hold even more significance for some people.  Little League matches, neighbourhood charity sports events, office sports days; the works. By leveraging live sports streaming online, amateur sports matches have a way of reaching an audience around the world. This way, sports connoisseurs sitting halfway across the globe can still follow the beats of a live match, without having to miss out on crucial moments. Plus, if you monetise your stream well, it is a phenomenal way to fill your piggy bank. Online sports streaming is no longer limited to sophisticated technology. With a few basic pieces of hardware and a versatile streaming software, you can get an online sports streaming platform up and running in a matter of days. StreamNow, for example, is an excellent framework that allows you to plug a live stream into your existing website. If you’re wondering how to stream sports online, we’ve got you covered. Follow this nifty guide to create a sports streaming website of your own.

Example of Online Sports Streaming:

Let’s begin with an example to demonstrate how you can establish an online sports streaming window. Offices across the world regularly organise employee engagement activities for their employees. These range from carnivals, fairs and family meets to intra-company sports tournaments and annual sports days. However, many organisations are geographically fragmented, with offices often spanning the length and breadth of a country and sometimes, even the world. Here, lies the challenge. Sports matches, in particular, are geography-specific, and oftentimes, employees in remote corners of the country have no access to these engaging events. Of course, while participation may be difficult, live streaming serves as a medium that binds remote employees together, showcasing real-time action as a match unfolds. Many companies don’t have the wherewithal or expertise to leverage live sports streaming online. That’s where you come in. With a professional video camera and a capture card, you can set up a live stream through StreamNow. This will allow you to relay a sports match to various nodes around the world. And for every view, you can charge a fee to the company. The concept can work just as well in a B2C setup. Neighbourhood sports events and friendly weekend games can be ideal for streaming content.

Elements Required for Online Sports Streaming:

If you were to classify your live streaming infrastructure into key buckets, you would have five chief categories. Let us walk you through what you’ll need.

Internet Connectivity:

The lifeblood of live streaming is the internet. When it comes to establishing a robust connectivity ecosystem, be sure to build in redundancy. You may have a wireless connection as your primary connectivity tool. In addition to this, tuck a hotspot into your work bag to serve as an inexpensive, yet effective way to source an internet connection while at a game. A hotspot is usually available at telecom stores.

Recording Hardware:

The kind of video camera that you use really depends on the scale of your project. If you intend to turn your live streams into a full-time venture, it would be worthwhile to invest in a professional camera. This would allow you to move around freely, focussing on certain elements of the game and even interviewing players during breaks. A video camera requires a capture card to transform video content into a live stream.

Encoders:

There are two ways through which you can deliver a live stream. If you choose to stream your content exclusively through software, you will need to add a software encoder to your kitty. Flash Media Live Encoder is a wonderful tool, and is absolutely free. Alternatively, you could opt for a hardware encoder, but your costs may rise significantly and you will need a video source that meshes with your encoder.    

Streaming Service:

For a seamless, sophisticated stream, turn to StreamNow. With a whole arsenal of unique features, StreamNow allows you to create an exclusive profile for yourself, monetise your stream through banner ads, save all live streaming videos, post statuses akin to social media and create a dynamic subscription plan. Offering a sleek, ritzy interface to users, it is a superior solution for broadcasters across the board.

Monetisation:

Watching sports from the comfort of your couch can send a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. It’s exciting, and leaves you feeling part of the game, even from thousands of miles away. By handpicking games and opportunities in your vicinity, you can tap the latent demand for backyard sports consumption through live streaming. StreamNow offers an assortment of monetisation tools to help you get started. Subscription plans, user-defined paid events and sponsored banner ads can catapult your revenue stream to the big league.

Set Up Your Own Online Sports Streaming Brand:

There’s no doubt that live sports streaming online, holds the ticket to success if executed well. Assess your market for opportunities associated with sports to carve a niche for yourself that stands out. Amateur online sports streaming is a nascent sector today. However, over time, you’ll discover what works and what doesn’t, which sports models hold the maximum monetisation potential and whom to approach for what. And when you do, you’ll score a homerun that will last you a lifetime.