MHSAA TV Celebrates 10th Anniversary
August 29, 2018
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
It was 10 years ago today that the MHSAA began its current television network efforts by broadcasting a season-opening football game pitting local rivals in small-town setting.
Sand Creek High School was hosting Blissfield in what had become a traditional season-opening game at the time, the two schools less than 15 miles apart. The Aggies were celebrating a community effort by debuting new grandstands on the home side of the field salvaged from nearby Michigan International Speedway. Townsfolk gathered across the street in the high school for a fund-raising taco dinner, and the MHSAA Network was there.
In the 10 years since that kickoff game, won by Blissfield 14-6, the MHSAA’s video production efforts have gone from games on cable television to an exclusively online effort powered by the NFHS Network – which produces more than 135 events and 400 hours of MHSAA Championships – and feature a growing School Broadcast Program, which will produce upwards of 2,000 hours of regular-season games at more 80 participating schools in 2018-19.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members and the NFHS Network:
Wednesday, Aug. 29
- Freshman Boys Soccer - Dearborn at Saline - 4 p.m.
- Freshman Football - Brighton at Novi - 4:30 p.m.
- Freshman Football - Saginaw Swan Valley at Frankenmuth - 4:30 p.m.
- Freshman Football - Saginaw Heritage at Grand Blanc - 4:30 p.m.
- Freshman Girls Volleyball – West Iron County at Calumet – 4:30 p.m.
- Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball – West Iron County at Calumet – 5:30 p.m.
- Junior Varsity Football - Saginaw Swan Valley at Frankenmuth - 6 p.m.
- Junior Varsity Football - Brighton at Novi - 6:30 p.m.
- Junior Varsity Football - Saginaw Heritage at Grand Blanc - 6:30 p.m.
- Girls Volleyball – West Iron County at Calumet – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 30
- Field Hockey - Wixom St. Catherine at Novi - 4:30 p.m.
- Football - Windsor Holy Name at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook - 5 p.m.
- Junior Varsity Field Hockey - Wixom St. Catherine at Novi - 6 p.m.
- Football - Ovid-Elsie at Montrose - 7 p.m.
- Football - Novi at Brighton - 7 p.m.
- Football - Oxford at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
- Football - Carrollton at Freeland - 7 p.m.
- Football – Negaunee at Calumet – 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31
- Football - Grandville at Warren DeLaSalle - 7 p.m.
- Football - Munising at Norway - 7 p.m.
- Football - Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Saline - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4
- Junior Varsity Boys Soccer - Ann Arbor Skyline at Saline - 5:30 p.m.
- Girls Volleyball - Iron Mountain at Norway - 6 p.m.
- Boys Soccer - Ann Arbor Skyline at Saline - 7 p.m.
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.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
Highlights of games broadcast by MHSAA School Broadcast Program members and the NFHS Network make their 2018-19 debut this week. Featured games are in football with Trenton’s 27-21 win over Allen Park; Zeeland East topping East Grand Rapids, 36-27; and Flint Beecher defeating Flint Southwestern, 24-0.
Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.
NFHS Offers Pixellots, School Support
July 7, 2020
National Federation of State High School Associations
As high schools nationwide continue to deal with the fallout from COVID-19 and make plans for the restarting of activities this fall, the NFHS Network – the leader in streaming live and on-demand high school sports – has announced an unprecedented offer for schools that are facing possible attendance restrictions at events during the 2020-21 school year.
Through its High School Support Program, the NFHS Network is offering up to two free Pixellot automated-production units for schools that lack production capabilities to stream events on the NFHS Network.
The offer of two Pixellot units – one for indoor events and the other for outdoor contests – has been extended to all 19,500 high schools in the 51 NFHS member state associations. The NFHS Network is a joint venture of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), its member state associations and PlayOn! Sports.
In addition to receiving two free Pixellot production units, schools will receive a larger percentage of subscription revenue generated from their events, effective Aug. 1, in an effort to offset revenue losses from reduced attendance.
“We recognize that the next several years will be challenging for our high schools and state associations,” said Mark Koski, CEO of the NFHS Network. “Many are facing budget cuts and reduced resources, and attendance at athletic and other school events may be restricted. From the NFHS Network’s inception seven years ago, we have been driven by the goal to create a platform that showcases every high school event across every sport and every level of competition. Consistent with this goal, we want the High School Support Program to demonstrate our continued commitment to help our partner schools manage through the inevitable complications created by COVID-19.”
The Pixellot automated production solution was introduced to high schools three years ago and has quickly become an integral component of the NFHS Network’s offerings. The Pixellot solution allows every event to be streamed live without requiring personnel to produce the games. There are currently more than 5,000 Pixellot units in high schools across the country which will produce in excess of 250,000 live games this upcoming school year with no human involvement.
In addition to livestreaming 27 sports, the NFHS Network also covers performing arts, graduations, award ceremonies and other school events. To date, the NFHS Network has distributed more than $25 million back to participating high schools and state associations.
For more information about the High School Support Program, click here. Schools wishing to sign up for free Pixellot units should visit here.