Live Streaming of USSF D-2 Pro League Will Start This Weekend
All 180 Games During the Season Can be Viewed Live Via Streaming Video on Club Websites
The USSF will release a press statement on Thursday briefly outlining the details of the live streaming agreement for all teams participating in the league for 2010.
According to the USSF, each team will be responsible for broadcasting their home games. They will make that video stream available through their own website.
According to Barclay Kruse, Media Director at the NSC, the USSF has been communicating with its D-2 clubs concerning live webcasting of all 180 league games this season. Kruse said that the USSF sent out specific information to all of the teams late in the day on Monday, with technical information along with the name of the service provider for the streaming.
The NSC Minnesota media team and IT team met Wednesday afternoon to digest all the information and figure out exactly how they will present their video streaming webcast. Their main concern is getting things set up for Sunday’s webcast and getting publicity out so fans can watch the game. After that, their focus will be on their first home game of the season on April 24.
Kruse said that their plan is to have a linked portal on the NSC Minnesota website that would direct you to the opposing team’s website. The NSC would provide this for all home and away games. “This is obviously the preferred way to go and much more customer-friendly,” said Kruse. “The fans can go to the same place all season long to watch games.”
Chris Lidholm returns to do the play-by-play for the Minnesota Stars Webcasts
The NSC staff will still need to coordinate some things with Vancouver for Sunday’s game, but they don’t anticipate any problems. Vancouver is one of the few teams in the league with a broadcast contract.
The league will require each team to conduct its own webcast of their home games. If a team doesn’t have a TV contract then it must provide its own camera and switching equipment. The USSF has drafted a minimal standard that teams must own to conduct their own video production of games.
As IMS reported last month, the NSC has decided to purchase about $14,000 worth of equipment which will include 3 new and improved cameras and a Tricaster which is a piece of production equipment that allows camera switches and prerecorded segments. Kruse said the Tricaster they are purchasing will also allow limited instant replay.
Kruse also told IMS that they have secured the former Thunder broadcast team of Chris Lidholm as the play-by-play man and Buzz Lagos as the color commentator.
Kruse said he feels it’s important that fans know that the home teams will produce these webcasts, so it’s a given that the quality will be inconsistent from team to team. He also stated that he expects some bumps in the road for the first few Stars webcasts. He stated that they will be learning as they go and is assuming the broadcasts will get better throughout the season.
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Hooray !
Join the supporters and make some new friends in futbol, as we plan to meet at the Sweetwater Grille and Bar at the Kelly Inn, St. Paul for all the away games. As we have done the last several years, we have set up a computer to stream the webcasts to wide screen TV monitors. This is a kid/family friendly environment, so please join us for the NSC Minnesota Stars first game, live from Vancouver, on Sunday April 11 from 6 PM.
Vancouver has always done one of the most professional broadcasts over the years, and I expect nothing different this year as they prepare for MLS next season.
Will those streams just be live, or will they be available to watch replays afterward? Has anybody mentioned that?
That is a very good question I should have thought to ask. I am guessing no but perhaps the provider of the streaming service will allow a way to view these. I’ll try to get an answer this morning.
I can’t watch the Stars any other way (except when they visit my other team), so this is excellent news.
I’d imagine that each team’s ability to comply with this will be significant when the D2 viability toteboard is tallied in the near future, along with a number of other metrics.
@NSC folks, or others:
Any plans to have a way to follow the game via Blackberry, etc. for those unable to watch the stream? As a last resort, Twitter would work. Of course would need Twitpics also to give texture to the coverage. Help!
How many NSC players CAN’T play in the first game because of “paperwork”?
Sorry, thought I was going to get to an article before this but will have to wait until after the live show today but my count is 4. Ughhhh! Leilie, Two-Boys, Bracalello and Hlavaty. Visa issues on all of them.
The whole center of the field??
Just tried to watch the two opening night games ‘on-demand’, but couldnt find them! I guess that answers that question. I was hoping to be able to watch if I miss it, but it seems we wont be able to! If Im wrong and just couldnt find it, could someone send me a link?