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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.

Spring Underway on MHSAA TV

March 26, 2019

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

Here is the schedule for Spring sporting events to be streamed live on MHSAA.tv from March 26 to April 9:
 
March 26
JV Girls Soccer - West Bloomfield v. White Lake Lakeland  - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - West Bloomfield v. White Lake Lakeland  - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse – Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. Lake Orion  - 7 PM

March 27
JV Girls Soccer – Grosse Pointe South v. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore  - 4:30 PM
Girls Soccer – Grosse Pointe South v. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore  - 6 PM
 
April 1
Girls Soccer - Hartland v. Howell  - 7 PM
 
April 2
JV Girls Soccer - Hartland v. Howell  - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Laingsburg v. Manchester  - 5:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Birch Run v. Freeland  - 6 PM
 
April 3
Baseball - Swartz Creek v. Montrose  - 4 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Midland v. Freeland  - 5 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse - Midland v. Saline  - 5:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Midland v. Freeland  - 7 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Midland v. Saline  - 7 PM
 
April 4
JV Girls Lacrosse - Flint Powers Catholic v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 4:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Montrose v. Ovid-Elsie  - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Midland Dow v. Grand Blanc  - 5 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Detroit Country Day v. Saline  - 5:30 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Swartz Creek v. Ovid-Elsie  - 6 PM
Girls Lacrosse - Flint Powers Catholic v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Midland Dow v. Grand Blanc  - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Detroit Country Day v. Saline  - 7 PM
 
April 5
JV Boys Lacrosse – Detroit Catholic Central v. Howell  - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Lacrosse – Noblesville, IN v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Frankenmuth v. Freeland  - 5 PM
Girls Lacrosse – Noblesville, IN v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Brighton v. Grand Blanc  - 6 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Ann Arbor Greenhills v. Howell  - 6 PM
Girls Soccer - Frankenmuth v. Freeland  - 7 PM
 
April 6
JV Girls Soccer - Royal Oak Shrine v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 1 PM
Girls Soccer - Royal Oak Shrine v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 11 AM
 
April 8
JV Girls Soccer – Saginaw Heritage v. Freeland  - 5 PM
JV Boys Lacrosse - Stevenson v. Howell  - 5:30 PM
Freshman Boys Lacrosse - Salem v. Brighton  - 5:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Salem v. Brighton  - 7 PM
Girls Soccer – Saginaw Heritage v. Freeland  - 7 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Spartans v. Howell  - 7 PM
 
April 9
Boys & Girls Track - Brighton v. Howell  - 3:50 PM
Boys Track - White Lake Lakeland  - 4 PM
Girls Track - White Lake Lakeland  - 4 PM
Girls Soccer - Chesaning v. Montrose  - 4:30 PM
Girls Soccer - Ann Arbor Greenhills v. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 4:30 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Rochester Adams v. Grand Blanc  - 5 PM
Boys Lacrosse – Bay City Central v. Ovid-Elsie  - 6 PM
JV Girls Soccer - Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood  - 6:30 PM
Boys Lacrosse - Warren Cousino v. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore  - 7 PM
Girls Soccer - Rochester Adams v. Grand Blanc  - 7 PM
 

In its 10th 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 events. The SBP also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
 
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 are selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a 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.