Do you have a neighbourhood sports team? Or a college one that always wins? Perhaps, you are a die-hard sports fan who wants to stream your favorite baseball matches straight from the stands.
Whatever your reason is, it is easy to live stream your sports action today. The best part is that all you need is a flip camera or a decent smartphone with Internet connection and a reliable live streaming app for starting a live streaming website for sports.
The Internet and App stores have umpteen number of choices to start live streaming from anywhere you are. Live streaming apps like these that e27 has put together have been topping the charts since day one.
But, there is nothing called a free lunch. Most free live streaming apps do come with a catch. To cite the most apparent challenge to live streamers, most live streaming websites work on a freemium model.
The live streaming features are limited in the free version. For advanced features (which are really essential) come for a charge. Sometimes these features are not worth the price you pay for them.
Still more reasons why live streaming services may not work to your favor:
#1 They are not white label
Free live streaming websites and apps are after all free. They come with watermarks and logo imprints or the app which is definitely a turn off. Especially, if you are trying to build your own community that revolves around live video content.
#2 They cannot be customized
Free live streaming services have tight control on what kind of features you can have and how you can use. The scope for customization and personalization is extremely narrow. The best you can probably do is to pick from various predefined layouts and display aspect ratio, color theme, etc., all of which does not add up to much user experience as such.
#3 Chat integrations may not be possible
Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Meerkat all offer chat facility. Live stream viewers can interact with the broadcaster on the live stream screen and exchange comments. Advanced features like emoticons, Likes, Upvotes, star ratings, etc. is also possible. But, all these in a free live streaming service is hard to come by.
#4 Ad monetization is restricted
The prime motive of free live streaming services is to provide a channel for free live streaming. They do not provide elaborate or even basic functionalities for monetizing the live streaming. Also, it may not be possible to integrate pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll and scheduled ad rolls for revenue monetization.
#5 Bandwidth caps limit seamless live streaming
Live streaming requires massive bandwidth for buffer-free streaming. You cannot continue the live streaming for any length and that, for any bandwidth. There is a ceiling limit on the gigabits of live streaming you can upload or download beyond which the service ceases or asks for a premium upgrade.
That leads to the need to have a live streaming website of your own under your own brand name with features that will make you a topical authority in sports live streaming.
Contus Vplay – A Feature-rich Video Solution To Make Your Own Live Sports Streaming Site
If you have been scouting the Internet asking yourself how to create a sports streaming website that is truly personalized, authentic under your own brand name and handpicked functionalities, Contus Vplay is the final answer.
Contus Vplay is a next-gen video solution that can be used to build a live streaming website for sports broadcasting. The video solution comes pre-equipped with facilities for monetization in multiple modes. Pay per view, ad integration, subscription based live streaming to cite a few.
Under The Hood Live Streaming Features of Contus Vplay
1. Unlimited Streaming
No caps on how many gigabytes of video live streaming you want to deliver, number of viewers, number of live events – total control over your streaming
2. Full HD Streaming
Build a sports streaming website that can stream videos in full HD clarity – 720p, 1080p, 4K or anything else as you desire.
3. Cloud-Based Transcoding
Solid cloud-based transcoding that gives total flexibility, scalability and security for glitch-free sports live streaming.
4. Live Video Player
Live sports video player integrated with paywall and security features that prevents unauthorized access downloading, copying or redistribution.
5. Account Management
A profile of their own for admins and viewers to manage live sports events, monetization and even schedules from a dedicated dashboard.
6. Dashboard Analytics
Comprehensive information on number of viewers, revenue per user, average stream length and much more.
7. Social Sharing System
Spread the word. Let the world know with social sharing system for Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and many other social channels.
8. On Screen Lead Capture
Start a live sports streaming website that can turn viewers into subscribers with embedded on screen lead capture mechanisms that pop up at strategic timing of your sports live stream.