How Northwoods League Monetized Live Video with Ease and Scale with Videon’s LiveEdge® Solution

By Zach Whitaker, Solutions Engineer

The Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league with 30 teams across the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions, is dedicated to player development and community engagement. Fans can watch live games through various streaming options, but the league faced challenges in monetizing these streams efficiently.

The Challenge

Before the implementation of LiveEdge^®, Northwoods League's live video monetization efforts were hampered by two primary issues:

1. Technical Expertise: The onsite teams lacked the technical skills needed for SCTE marker insertion and managing traditional live sports hardware.
2. Cost and Scalability: The ad insertion hardware available was prohibitively expensive and difficult to scale across multiple locations.

The Solution

LiveEdge^® changed the game for Northwoods League's live video infrastructure. By installing a LiveEdge^® device in their production booth, the league achieved:

- Efficient Ad Insertion: With pre-programmed ad lengths, a simple button press allowed the production team to insert 2-minute ads between innings.

- Simultaneous Multi-output Streaming: Enabled the league to stream to three different channels simultaneously, each with SCTE markers for precise ad insertion and content segmentation.

- Ease of Use: Ad insertion became straightforward with minimal technical knowledge required, as simple as a press of the button.

- Consistency: Standardized hardware across all stadiums ensured a uniform setup.

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LiveEdge^® offers multiple methods for SCTE-35 ad marker insertion:

- A physical red button connected to a LiveEdge^® device onsite.

- A web interface that can be controlled via tablet or desktop.

- Automated insertion using Docker containers, detailed in a separate blog post.

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The Outcome

Northwoods League's production team can now stream to multiple locations simultaneously and manage ad insertion without requiring extensive technical expertise. This standardization has set the league up for future success, allowing them to evolve their live video workflows with minimal on-premises hardware and reduced technical demands on staff.

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"Videon's LiveEdge^® solution has empowered our production teams to easily stream to three locations simultaneously and manage ad insertion with minimal technical expertise. This has significantly elevated our live video capabilities, allowing us to monetize our streams effortlessly and consistently across all our stadiums."

Glen Showalter
President, Great Plains Division
Northwoods League

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To learn more about how LiveEdge^® can elevate your live video workflows with ease and efficiency, visit videonlabs.com or contact us here. Discover how our solutions can help you achieve seamless live video workflows, effortless ad insertion, and consistent performance across all your venues and so many more use cases.

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