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Southington athletic director outlines free NFHS streaming cameras, privacy controls and small revenue share
Summary
Athletic Director Bob McKee told the board the NFHS Network will provide two automated cameras (stadium and gym) at no cost to the district, enabling live streams for multiple levels; questions focused on privacy, connectivity and potential revenue shares from subscriptions.
Athletic Director Bob McKee told the Southington Board of Education that a partnership with the NFHS Network and Pixellot cameras will provide two automated cameras — one for the stadium turf field and one for the west gym — at no cost to the district and enable live streaming for freshman, junior varsity, varsity and other school activities.
"They're gonna give it to me for free. So it's a $10,000 value," McKee said during his administrative report. He said the cameras operate on an automated schedule and are not continuously monitored; the system can be controlled by district staff and will not turn on during classroom instruction.
McKee described other benefits including automatic highlight generation, coach film breakdowns and the ability for parents and student broadcasters to create clips. He said the NFHS subscription model includes a monthly viewing option (about $14) and an annual pass ($79); the district would receive roughly 10% of monthly subscription revenue and 20% of full-year subscriptions.
Board members asked about bandwidth and privacy. McKee said he had consulted Kyle Savage in IT and that the vendor will provide supplemental connectivity (a satellite-like solution) to support streaming at the fields at no cost to the district. He also said the cameras use low-bandwidth settings and that the district retains controls over when streams are active.
Members discussed whether the system could be expanded to baseball and softball later — McKee said those sports could be accommodated but would require a different camera system and there could be extra costs — and explored how the system could support college recruitment and students in AV programs. McKee said the vendor’s tools create highlight libraries useful for families and recruits and that counselors (via a Core Course GPA product purchased by Jen Desenza) can help families with recruiting profiles.
Next steps: McKee plans to run a short pilot and test installation in October and coordinate with IT on connectivity and with athletics on which levels to include in early rollout.
