Steve Schneider, co-owner of the LHSA Network, told the legislative subcommittee studying the Louisiana High School Athletic Association that his company produces live, linear broadcasts of LHSAA championship events and distributes them free to viewers with a smart TV and an email address.

The network operates under a trade-only arrangement with the LHSAA, Schneider said. "It's a partnership for the rights," he told the committee, adding the LHSAA does not receive direct payments from the network; instead the association receives 30 percent of advertising inventory the network sells.

Why it matters: the agreement determines who can broadcast championship games live, how games are distributed online after the fact, and who benefits from sponsorship revenue. The committee heard details about how linear rights — broadcasts that run live and cannot be paused or archived by the network — differ from non-linear rights used by the NFHS Network for phone, tablet, and archive distribution.

Schneider described how the NFHS Network handles non-linear distribution of the same championship broadcasts; LHSA produces the footage and NFHS distributes it through its subscription services. He told the committee the LHSA channel started in 2023 and the network channel came on cable in February 2024. The network has produced more than 200 championship events across multiple sports, he said.

Officials questioned how the contract affects parents, local school broadcasters and news outlets. Schneider said credentialed news media and parents may film or take pictures, but championship broadcasting rights are restricted by the contract the network holds for linear coverage at championship venues.

Schneider said the network funds operations through sponsorships and advertising, and that the LHSAA receives 30 percent of the advertising inventory to sell to its own sponsors. He said the network’s current exclusive LHSAA sponsors are Ochsner and Coca-Cola product lines. "We need sponsorships," Schneider told the committee.

Committee members asked whether student athletes sign waivers; Schneider said the network typically does not obtain waivers for routine news coverage and highlight packages. He also said the network aims to provide free access to families who cannot attend events rather than require subscription fees.

The committee did not take action but heard follow-up questions about the relationship between contracts and state law on recording extracurricular activities.