The Next Evolution in Youth and Amateur Sports, Part 2

Understanding the full picture of livestreaming's role in youth and amateur sports requires diving deep into multiple layers. With so much to unpack, we're breaking down this exploration into the next evolution in sports broadcasting as a three-part series.

In part 1, we explored the huge untapped opportunity that livestreaming presents with 63% of non-streaming organizations expressing interest in adoption. Yet despite the interest for livestreaming, adoption remains stagnant at just 22% of the market.  

And here in part 2, we zoom into why - something that may be relatable for anyone who's ever tried to watch their kid's game remotely. The problem comes down to a few major roadblocks that have left the market broken, forcing millions of athletes and families to either settle for inadequate solutions, or skip livestreaming altogether. 

Finally in part 3, we will reveal how sports tech companies can address real user needs and carve out their unique position in a saturated and constantly shifting market.

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A Technical Hassle

Livestreaming a game should be as simple as pressing a button, but it's become such a pain that most teams avoid it completely. To begin with, it requires a solid internet connection at venues, most of which are not designed for streaming video. On top of that, there's equipment to manage - smartphones, tablets, tripods, microphones, and backup batteries. All of it needs to be gathered, charged, and schlepped to the event.

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And for most users who are broadcasting to YouTube and/or Facebook, these platforms become another app to juggle. This means coaches and volunteers are constantly switching between their team management app—where they handle schedules, rosters, and parent communication—and a streaming platform with its own login, interface, and rules. Given the headache and complexity, it's no surprise that teams struggle to find volunteers willing to take on livestreaming responsibilities, often leaving the task to fall on already overburdened coaches.

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Lackluster Fan Experience

On the other side of the screen, the viewing experience for parents, grandparents, and extended family can be equally frustrating. Our research found that 60% of organizations that currently livestream their sporting events cite video quality as their top improvement priority. This is most likely due to social media platforms’ limitations and policies.

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While Facebook Live can technically support up to 1080p, only members of their Level Up Program can access higher resolutions, limiting most users to 720p streaming. This results in pixelated and blurry streams, making it difficult to follow the action and identify players. And if that isn't bad enough, Facebook Live automatically adds at least 15 seconds of delay to every stream, making the whole 'live' experience feel anything but live.

Compared to Facebook Live, YouTube Live does offer strong technical capabilities, supporting up to 4K resolution. However, if you’re streaming sports, quality problems can arise because Youtube forces you to choose between video quality and real-time interaction. When you select settings for YouTube's Low Latency or Ultra-Low Latency, video quality is significantly compromised to achieve faster streaming. Additionally, many youth and amateur sports broadcasters often stream from basic mobile setups that can't take advantage of YouTube's more advanced streaming features. So while YouTube Live can provide high quality video, most users don't have the setup, or they may prioritize faster interaction over visual clarity.

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No Monetization

Beyond poor user experience, social media platforms fundamentally fail to make livestreaming worthwhile for youth and amateur sports organizations. First and foremost, social media platforms provide no meaningful way for teams to monetize their content or integrate livestreaming with fundraising efforts.

For example, a streamer on Twitch has a revenue model that assumes consistent, regular streaming with engaged gaming audiences. To access basic monetization features, Twitch requires 50 followers, 500 minutes of streaming in 30 days, and an average of 3 concurrent viewers. Plus, Twitch is notorious for taking half of streamer earnings, so fundraising through the platform would benefit Twitch more than the actual team.

If you’re streaming on Facebook, monetization options are limited and primarily designed for individual influencers and entertainers, not youth and amateur sports. Although Facebook Stars allows viewers to send virtual gifts, profiles are required to have 500 followers for at least 30 consecutive days. Similarly, to be eligible for Fan subscriptions, a profile must have at least 10,000 followers or 250 return viewers, and either 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the last 60 days. To meet these thresholds, teams need to create regular content that is simply unsustainable for teams that are typically run by volunteers.

When it comes to YouTube, Super Chat is a simple feature that lets viewers pay to highlight their messages in the chat. While this is perfect for youth sports as an easy fundraising tool, YouTube also has eligibility requirements that are more stringent than Facebook - 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months. Estimating an average team has about 20 players, each with 3-5 fans who will subscribe, most local teams would struggle to reach 100-200 YouTube subscribers, let alone the 1,000 needed for monetization.

Instead of being able to generate revenue, teams are settling for social media platforms that  offer no way to capture value from their content or the community they’re building. For cash strapped organizations who rely on fundraising to reduce registration fees, upgrade equipment, or improve facilities, this is a missed opportunity.

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Lack of Privacy and Security

Most critically, social media platforms are infamous for aggressive data harvesting, algorithmic content curation, and commercial exploitation of users' personal data. In our latest market report, 42% of sports organizations expressed concerns about privacy and data sharing—a particularly acute issue in youth sports where child safety is paramount. Livestreaming through social media platforms creates public streams that anyone can discover and access, raising legitimate concerns about unauthorized viewers and inappropriate interactions. In fact, a report by the Federal Trade Commission found that social media and video streaming companies like Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and TikTok engage in extensive surveillance of users to monetize their personal data, and at the same time, provide no protection for children and teens online.

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“Social media and video streaming companies harvest an enormous amount of Americans’ personal data and monetize it to the tune of billions of dollars a year” - FTC Chair Lina M. Khan

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The barriers preventing widespread livestreaming adoption in youth and amateur sports are numerous: convoluted setups that overwhelm volunteers, poor viewing experiences that underwhelm families, limited to no monetization, and serious privacy concerns around children's safety on public platforms. These interconnected challenges have created a broken market where 63% of organizations want livestreaming capabilities, but only 22% actually use them. Athletes and families either settle for subpar livestreaming or forgo it, costing them opportunities for fan engagement, community connection, and financial sustainability.

However, sports technology providers are uniquely positioned to solve these problems in ways that social media platforms simply cannot. Unlike generic streaming platforms, sports tech companies have a distinct advantage, and understand the specific needs of youth and amateur athletes. Not only that, they can offer seamless integration with existing team management workflows, family-friendly monetization tied to fundraising goals, and privacy first approaches that prioritize online safety.

In our next post, we'll explore how forward-thinking sports technology companies can leverage their deep understanding of users to address every barrier we've discussed, and integrate live video as part of a comprehensive solution.