How to Stream a Sporting Event

Cómo hacer Streaming de un Evento Deportivo

We will explain step by step everything you need to know to produce a live broadcast with examples.

Producing a live broadcast is in vogue, and here to stay. Live streaming is a new trend, and live sports broadcasting is no longer limited to professional teams or those with major league budgets.

More and more local sports organizations and individuals have begun investing in live streaming equipment to give remote fans the opportunity to tune in live without having to go there themselves.

Below, we will explain all the steps to follow for high-quality streaming and use some examples with Yololiv equipment.

In 7 steps, we will try to cover all the aspects you need to consider to produce a quality live broadcast.

  • Platform selection for live sports event broadcasting

  • Multi-camera sports broadcasting equipment

  • Strong network connection

  • Extra batteries and alternative power supply

  • Add a scoreboard

  • Optimize the encoding settings

  • Day-before rehearsal

1. Platform Selection for Live Sports Event Broadcasting

There are numerous streaming platforms available, and the best one for sports events depends on your needs and the audience you are targeting.

Choosing the right streaming platform is important to boost your audience's engagement and expand your follower base. Here is a brief introduction to the most popular live streaming platforms:

  • Facebook Live: it remains the most popular platform and an excellent option for live streaming, especially if the team you are going to broadcast already has devoted followers on site.

  • YouTube: if the goal is to expand the reach of the broadcast, YouTube may be the right platform. Live broadcasts on YouTube have a longer lifespan than those on Facebook, as they are more easily exposed and are more likely to be viewed after the event.

There are many other popular streaming platforms, such as Twitch, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.

Focus on your audience to choose the platform where to broadcast. Which one has the largest number of followers of the team or sport participating?

You can also live stream to multiple platforms if you do not want to be limited to just one. YoloBox supports simultaneous streaming to 3 platforms, either through direct integration or RTMP.

YoloBox link: https://www.camaralia.com/10568-yololiv-yolobox-mini.html

2. Multi-Camera Sports Broadcasting Equipment

Planning the camera setup is crucial for professional sports live streaming. Having multiple cameras allows a producer to switch between different angles seamlessly to keep the audience immersed in the game.

The YoloBox Pro supports up to 3 cameras from a total of 7 video sources for your broadcasts. The number of cameras or video sources you use will depend on both the sport and the complexity you want your broadcast to have.

YoloBox Pro link: https://www.camaralia.com/9827-yololiv-yolobox-pro.html

A professional sports live broadcast requires at least 2 cameras:

  • Wide angle: a wide-angle shot to capture the entire field, court, track, etc.

  • Close-ups: a closer camera at one or both ends of a space to capture a close-up image of the game.

3. Strong Network Connection

For professional live streaming, a solid and reliable internet connection is probably the most obvious requirement. And an ethernet connection is undoubtedly the most reliable.

But in many cases, you may have to use whatever internet connection you can get and adjust your broadcast to the bandwidth it provides.

Minimum upload speeds for different broadcast quality levels:

  • 270p (Low): 1.5 mbps upload

  • 360p (Medium): 2mbps upload

  • 540p (High): 2.5 mbps upload

  • 720p (HD): 6mbps upload

  • 1080p: 12mbps upload or higher

There are some ways to improve the network connection for a clearer live broadcast:

  • Router: a good router can manage bandwidth on internet connections to prioritize high-demand traffic, such as streaming.

  • Network bonding: if you are streaming without Ethernet access, and the Wi-Fi connection is also weak, for YoloBox / YoloBox Pro users, you can combine 4G LTE and Wi-Fi for a more reliable connection by installing Speedify on your device.

Speedify installation video on Yololiv equipment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNPt3TbnzD0

4. Extra Batteries and Alternative Power Supply

If you are live streaming a horse race, you probably do not need extra batteries or alternative power supplies.

But if you are live streaming a soccer match or any other sport that generally takes a couple of hours, then you should have extra batteries or a power supply just in case.

This aspect will not cause any visible change during your live broadcast, but it is a very important aspect to keep in mind for all streaming industry professionals.

5. Add a Scoreboard

The graphic overlay you always see during sports events is a scoreboard. A live sports broadcast would not be complete without it.

YoloBox has a built-in scoreboard template with many options including font, text color, background color, team logo, and countdown timer to customize for various sports.

And other good news is that they are developing the web URL overlay feature, which allows you to get the scoreboard you created on live sports graphic platforms such as ligrsystems.com and singular.live as an overlay on YoloBox Pro.

ligrsystems.com: https://www.ligrsystems.com

singular.live: https://www.singular.live

6. Optimize the Encoding Settings

Producing a live broadcast requires significantly higher frame rates and bitrates than broadcasting other events.

A higher bitrate is generally associated with higher image quality. A higher number of FPS means smoother motion and less delay between each image change. Always look to optimize the encoding settings to provide a clearer and smoother video experience for the audience sitting in front of their screen.

7. Day-Before Rehearsal

With all that in mind, there are many other variables to consider when producing a live sports broadcast. The best way to practice is by trying it, making mistakes as many times as possible until everything is right and ready.

Practical Example

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/7bdnvSxNpog

We hope this article and its corresponding video help anyone who reads it produce a live broadcast!

Frequently asked questions

¿Qué plataforma elijo para emitir un evento deportivo en directo?

Depende de tu público: elige aquella en la que haya más seguidores del equipo o del deporte. Facebook Live es una buena opción si el equipo ya tiene seguidores allí, y YouTube si quieres ampliar el alcance, porque sus directos tienen una vida útil más larga. También puedes emitir en Twitch, Twitter, LinkedIn o TikTok.

¿Puedo emitir en varias plataformas a la vez?

Sí. YoloBox admite la transmisión a 3 plataformas simultáneamente, mediante integración directa o RTMP.

¿Cuántas cámaras necesito para retransmitir un partido?

Al menos dos:

  • Una gran angular, para capturar todo el campo, la cancha o la pista.
  • Otra más cercana, en uno o ambos extremos, para los primeros planos del juego.

El YoloBox Pro permite hasta 3 cámaras de un total de 7 fuentes de vídeo.

¿Qué velocidad de subida necesito para emitir?

La conexión por Ethernet es la más fiable. Estas son las velocidades de carga mínimas según la calidad:

  • 270p (baja): 1,5 Mbps
  • 360p (media): 2 Mbps
  • 540p (alta): 2,5 Mbps
  • 720p (HD): 6 Mbps
  • 1080p: 12 Mbps o más

¿Qué hago si no tengo Ethernet y el Wi-Fi es débil?

Un buen enrutador puede priorizar el tráfico de la emisión. Con YoloBox o YoloBox Pro, además, puedes unir 4G LTE y Wi-Fi para una conexión más fiable instalando Speedify en el dispositivo.