Mike Archambault, a director with the Huntsville Girls Hockey Association, and Patrick Reynolds, of LiveBarn, were before Huntsville’s General Committee on September 24, seeking permission to livestream games.
Archambault explained that LiveBarn is a subscription-based streaming service that enables users to view games, practices, and tournaments remotely.
“So bringing LiveBarn to Huntsville would allow families who can’t attend in person to watch their children play. Give players the ability to rewatch games for development and keep relatives and friends outside the area connected with our local teams.” Archambault said installation comes at no cost to the Town. He said LiveBarn covers all the equipment, setup expenses, and runs a separate dedicated network cable, so the existing Internet at the Canada Summit Centre will not be impacted.
Archambault said the Town would also receive a share of the subscription revenue, creating an ongoing source of income. “This would be a win-win for families in the community. It enhances player and spectator experience, provides convenience for parents, and strengthens Huntsville’s reputation as a supportive hockey town.”
Councillor Monty Clouthier pointed out that there is already a live stream service at the arena. Still, Reynolds said LiveBarn has a network in place that would make it easier to watch away games in other communities without incurring additional costs. Archambault said he subscribes to LiveBarn and was able to watch the games held in Lake Placid. “I think you can have more than one streaming service at the arena,” he said.
Huntsville Deputy Mayor questioned the possibility of seeing a decrease at the arena and a loss of income at the door. Reynolds said if people can go to the game, they will. He said the service is beneficial for family members who live out of the area, and it gives them the ability to remain connected. He said there is also the on-demand ability to watch a game. He said that after a game streams live, there is the ability to watch it for 30 days.
Prompted by a question from Councillor Dione Schumacher, Reynolds noted that signage is erected in the arena stating that events are being livestreamed.
Councillor Scott Morrison thanked the presenters. He said he had no idea that the arena had SportsEngine (another streaming service). “Maybe that says something; we weren’t even aware of it,” noted Morrison. He said in the summertime, streaming services have to be sensitive not to stream summer camps, and wondered if he service could be used for lacrosse as well.
Reynolds said the system has been upgraded and can be set three years in advance with blackout periods and ongoing monitoring.
Town staff was asked to investigate the differences between the two services and the feasibility of installing LiveBarn at both arenas.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
0 Comments