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Pixellot Productions On Rise

September 19, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

A year ago, Pixellot – the automated production solution for schools wishing to stream live video of their athletic events on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv – was in use at six schools across Michigan.

With the new school year underway, nearly two dozen schools are actively streaming events using Pixellot, with half of those schools streaming indoor and outdoor events. Several schools have more than two Pixellot units in place.

“Schools are finding that Pixellot provides a great opportunity to get a lot of their games out to their fans in a way they could never achieve,” said Mark Uyl, executive director of the MHSAA.  “We have some schools which are using a mix of their traditional, student-staffed, School Broadcast Program efforts along with Pixellot to be able to add subvarsity coverage; and schools going exclusively with Pixellot with installations at multiple venues.”

Pixellot units use from two to four High Definition cameras that cover the length of the playing surface and then focus on the ball and player movement to deliver the action. The unit communicates with the scoreboard to insert a time and score graphic on the screen. Ambient audio is picked up by the device, but the commentary of the public address announcer or the radio style play-by-play of an in-person announcing team also can be patched in.

All that has to be done from a school’s perspective is type in the event schedule and promote the fact that the games are available on MHSAA.tv. Pixellot does the rest. The unit also can be set up to isolate a camera on a fixed location, which allows for activities like cheer and wrestling to be streamed.

Schools actively engaged in Pixellot productions now include: Ann Arbor Greenhills, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, Brighton, Calumet, Dollar Bay, Frankenmuth, Freeland, Fremont, Grand Blanc, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, Harrison, Howell, Kalamazoo Christian, Macomb Lutheran North, Manchester, Norway, Novi, Otisville-LakeVille, Ovid-Elsie, Plainwell, Saginaw Heritage, Saline, Stevensville Lakeshore, Warren DeLaSalle and Williamston. Schools using indoor and outdoor units include Cranbrook Kingswood, Frankenmuth, Freeland, Grand Blanc, Howell, Manchester, Norway, Novi, Ovid-Elsie, Plainwell, Saginaw Heritage, Saline and Stevensville Lakeshore. Additional schools will have their Pixellot units coming online soon.

More than 70 percent of the programming taking place this week on MHSAA.tv will be Pixellot productions, featuring a football game Friday evening with two of the top-ranked Division 1 teams facing off for the top spot in the Saginaw Valley League’s Red division. Grand Blanc hosts Davison at 7 p.m. Both teams are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in league play, tied with Lapeer for first place.

Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by School Broadcast Program members and the NFHS Network:

Tuesday - Sept. 18

Wednesday - Sept. 19 

Thursday - Sept. 20

Friday - Sept. 21

Saturday - Sept. 22

Monday - Sept. 24

Tuesday - Sept. 25

All sporting events – live or delayed - are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants also will be selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program. 

Highlights of games broadcast during the past week by MHSAA School Broadcast Program contributors feature a pair of close football contests – Marquette’s 36-35 overtime win over Escanaba and Howell topping Novi, 21-17 – and a volleyball match with Lake Orion defeating Oxford, 3-0.

Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.

MHSAA TV

MHSAA.tv Schedule Filled with 400+ Live Events

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 14, 2021

More than 400 events will be broadcast live this week on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network, including a season high of nearly 170 football games. 

Highlighting this week’s Network football schedule are a pair of Division 1 matchups with potential league title implications. In the Saginaw Valley League Red, reigning champion Davison hosts Grand Blanc, while in the Macomb Area Conference Red reigning co-champion Macomb Dakota hosts Clinton Township Chippewa Valley.

The Bally Sports Detroit broadcast team this week will travel to Thirlby Field in Traverse City for the annual “Patriot Game” between Central and West. The game regularly draws more than 10,000 fans and honors U.S. military veterans, active-duty military, first responders and more area heroes who have died serving our country. Bally will present the game live at 7 p.m. on its Bally Sports Detroit PLUS cable channel and also on its website and app.

A pair of Thursday (Sept. 16) volleyball matches feature recent state powers, as reigning Division 1 champion Bloomfield Hills Marian takes on 2019 champ Farmington Hills Mercy, and reigning Division 2 champ Grand Rapids Christian faces last season’s Division 1 runner-up Lowell. In boys soccer, undefeated Grand Rapids South Christian hosts Ada Forest Hills Eastern also on Thursday, with Novi also looking to stay unbeaten while welcoming Plymouth.

Online viewers should keep in mind that the only sites that livestream MHSAA events are the NFHS Network (MHSAA.tv), Bally Sports Detroit (one game per week), State Champs! Sports Network (one game per week), or a school-controlled website (on a school YouTube or Facebook page, for example). There are many scams that advertise livestreams and are phishing for personal information. Some even attempt to install malware on computers or devices. If viewers see a link to a game that is not on one of the providers listed above, it is fake. If unsure, viewers should contact the host school or MHSAA before providing personal information.

Below are listings and links to just a few of the events of note this week on MHSAA.tv:    

VOLLEYBALL
Sept. 16: Lowell at Grand Rapids Christian, 6 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 16: Farmington Hills Mercy at Bloomfield Hills Marin, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 16: Centreville at Bloomingdale, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
All volleyball matches this week (170+ matches): MHSAA.tv

BOYS SOCCER
Sept. 16: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at East Grand Rapids, 6:45 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 16: Ada Forest Hills Eastern at Grand Rapids South Christian, 6:45 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 16: Plymouth at Novi, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
All soccer games this week (80+ games): MHSAA.tv

FOOTBALL
Sept. 17: Traverse City Central vs. Traverse City West at Thirlby Field, 7 p.m.: Bally Sports Detroit PLUS, BSD Website and app
Sept: 17 Davison at Grand Blanc, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 17: Clinton Township Chippewa Valley at Macomb Dakota, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 17: St. Louis at Hemlock, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 17: Kingsford at Marquette, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
Sept. 17 Brighton at Novi, 7 p.m.: MHSAA.tv
All football games this week (170+ games): MHSAA.tv

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 per month. Subscribers have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.

More than 400 MHSAA member schools are participants in the School Broadcast Program, now in its 13th year, producing games using traditional hands-on student crews or via Pixellot cameras installed at stadiums and gymnasiums across the state. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.