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 Offers 48 Football Games

September 18, 2020

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

Here is an updated schedule of varsity Football games for this weekend on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.tv:

Friday - Sept. 18 
East Kentwood  vs. Hudsonville  - 5:30 PM
Lowell  vs. East Grand Rapids  - 5:50 PM
Rockford  vs. Jenison  - 6 PM
Montrose  vs. Ovid-Elsie  - 6:40 PM
Watervliet  vs. Galesburg-Augusta  - 6:50 PM
Howell  vs. Plymouth - 6:55 PM
Petoskey  vs. Gaylord  - 7 PM
Saline  vs. Ypsilanti Community  - 7 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore  vs. Portage Northern  - 7 PM
Waterford Kettering  vs. South Lyon  - 7 PM
Grand Blanc  vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth  - 7 PM
Ithaca  vs. Saginaw Nouvel - 7 PM
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North  vs. Detroit Country Day  - 7 PM
Marquette  vs. Menominee  - 7 PM
Haslett  vs. Mason  - 7 PM
Fowlerville  vs. Williamston  - 7 PM
Calumet  vs. Kingsford  - 7 PM
Laingsburg  vs. Pewamo-Westphalia  - 7 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore  vs. Detroit Loyola  - 7 PM
Plainwell  vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix  - 7 PM
Fenton  vs. Holly  - 7 PM
Bad Axe  vs. Sandusky  - 7 PM
Harbor Beach  vs. Ubly  - 7 PM
Cedar Springs  vs. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg  - 7 PM
Detroit Catholic Central  vs. Harper Woods  - 7 PM
Manchester  vs. Addison  - 7 PM
Traverse City Central  vs. Traverse City West  - 7 PM
Saginaw Heritage  vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep - 7 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere  vs. Warren Lincoln - 7 PM
Durand Area  vs. Byron Center - 7 PM
DeWitt  vs. Portland  - 7 PM
Comstock Park  vs. Belding Area  - 7 PM
Brownstown Woodhaven  vs. Wyandotte Roosevelt  - 7 PM
Freeland  vs. Frankenmuth  - 7 PM
Suttons Bay  vs. Brethren  - 7 PM
Maple City Glen Lake  vs. Boyne City  - 7 PM
Charlevoix  vs. Frankfort  - 7 PM
Mayville  vs. Burton Atherton  - 7 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North  vs. Detroit Edison Public School Academy - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville  vs. Grass Lake  - 7 PM
Cadillac  vs. Alpena  - 7 PM
St. Joseph  vs. Kalamazoo Central  - 7 PM
Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills  vs. South Christian  - 7 PM
New Lothrop  vs. Mt Morris  - 7 PM
Negaunee  vs. Manistique  - 7 PM
 
Saturday - Sept. 19 
Traverse City St. Francis  vs. Sault Area  - 1 PM
Warren De La Salle Collegiate vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice  - 3 PM

Now in its 12th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – The NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games, but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 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. A portion of every subscription sold by an SBP school goes to benefit its program. 

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