The Increasingly Important Role of IPTV in College & University Sports Venues
Andy Wagner May 23, 2024
0 Comments
According to Nielsen data, college basketball's March Madness games have consistently been among the most-watched sporting events in the United States, drawing millions of viewers across broadcast and streaming platforms. A significant part of the tournament's viewing appeal revolves around seeing tens of thousands of rabid fans attend games for high-profile matchups.
As a result, maximizing the venue experience has emerged as a critical imperative for tournament and venue decision-makers. It is in this context that internet protocol television (IPTV) technology is playing a rising role in supporting fan engagement across a growing number of major sports venues including those hosting March Madness events.
Here, Andy Wagner, who leads the NFL and collegiate sports entertainment markets for VITEC, offers his insights on the evolution of IPTV in collegiate sports.
The fan experience at college sports venues is being redefined by IPTV IPTV is playing an increasingly important role in defining - and even managing - the kind of experience colleges and university leaders want to deliver to a diverse fan base. In addition to students, alumni, parents, and fans from visiting teams are all part of the community that make up the fan base.
Unlike those who tune in to watch the tournament on TV, there is much more to these events than the games themselves. Most venues host multiple sports and entertainment events during this period. The audiovisual infrastructure at these locations must support the diversity of activity throughout the day during the tournament. Addressing different requirements in an agile and effective manner is extremely challenging for legacy systems managing audiovisual assets like TVs and digital signage.
IPTV, by contrast, is much more flexible and efficient in managing its facilities day to day. This is mainly because IPTV systems can be integrated into institutions' information technology networks and infrastructures. As a result, they can be remotely managed and monitored, allowing venue operators to quickly troubleshoot issues, update content, and ensure smooth operation without needing technician support at the screen level. Before IPTV, someone would have to go from screen to screen with a remote control to change channels or activate a digital signage program.
IPTV is a game changer for college sports venue managers During March Madness, for instance, IPTV allowed managers to transform screens into advertising channels that cater to the specific audience attending different parts of the venue and support different types of events - from pep rallies to concerts - which often take place during the day of big games.
IPTV helps to configure set-ups specifically designed for men's basketball games. Then, with the push of a button, there's flexibility to switch the venue's configuration to support an entirely different set of requirements for the next night's game, which could be a women's basketball or volleyball match. This flexibility enhances the fan experience in an operationally and financially effective manner, which is an important benefit as leaders look for ways to provide enhanced value to fans, encouraging them to attend events instead of watching from home.
A key focus for decision-makers: fan engagement & providing value to fans One of the main goals in sports today is to enhance the fan experience and provide value so that fans choose to come to the venue rather than watch from the comfort of their homes. By adopting IPTV, leaders can deliver value in new ways, within their colleges and universities, through the increased flexibility and the ability to adapt audiovisual resources to the specific needs of different events and audiences.
Leaders need to establish a clear vision of how their institutions will apply an IPTV system, which includes considering what role IPTV will play in enhancing campus life. While it is tempting to replicate what other schools are doing, it is not often possible to drop in an identical system.
May 24, 2024VideoProc Converter AI: Your Answer to Video Format Challenges and Quality EnhancementWhen recording and distributing video, theres a good chance youve come across many
May 24, 2024HBO Original Series 30 Coins Season Two Finished with DaVinci Resolve StudioBlackmagic Design announced today that season two of HBO Original series 30
Enjoying the news? Sign up for the Creative COW Newsletter! Sign up for the Creative COW newsletter and get weekly updates on industry news, forum highlights, jobs, inspirational tutorials, tips, burning questions, and more! Receive bulletins from the largest, longest-running community dedicated to supporting professionals working in film, video, and audio.
Enter your email address, and your first and last name below!
-- Sign up: * indicates required
Email Address *
Name
--
North America Stories
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
13/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
Sports and Music Unite: A Look Back at the Operationally Ambitious FIFA Club Wor...
12/01/2026
Nielsen Panel Discussion Highlights World Cup Impact for FOX, Telemundo, MetLife...
12/01/2026
FIFA President Infantino Highlights How AI Will Impact 2026 FIFA World Cup and B...
12/01/2026
Baltimore Ravens' Jack Dana on Telling a Better Story With Media Management ...
12/01/2026
FOX Sports' Brad Cheney on Spectrum Debate's Impact on the Sports-Produc...
12/01/2026
Australia and New Zealand VP Alan Clements shares L3Harris' leadership insig...
12/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
Berklee International Folk Festival Celebrates 40 Years Featuring Grammy-winning alumna Arooj Aftab, the milestone concert and weeklong festival marks four de...
12/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
12/01/2026
Back to All News
WWE By the Numbers: Celebrating One Year on Netflix
From left to right: Rey Mysterio, Intercontinental Champion John Cena and Sheamus celebr...
10/01/2026
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
10/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
10/01/2026
Back to All News
Connection and Youth Defined: The Ramparts of Ice Brings a Hea...
09/01/2026
Rock-It Sports' Deron Brown & Laura Rowlands on Launching a New Brand, Suppl...
09/01/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's Chris Brown on the Broadcaster's First French O...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: CBS Sports Travels to Jacksonville With Packed Arsenal of Pro...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: NBC Sports Is Set To Roll Out New Scorebar, Insert Graphics T...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: Prime Video Production Team Caps Historic Season With Iconic ...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: FOX Sports Kicks Off Postseason Slate With Two-Game Wild Card...
09/01/2026
NFL Playoffs 2026: ESPN's Run Brings Monday Night Football' Flagship Op...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today introduced the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning...
09/01/2026
Globecast, the leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, today announced the appointment of Chris Pulis as Group Chief Technology...
09/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced several updates to its board of directors. As part of HPA s annual governance cycle, new leadership...
09/01/2026
SDVI, the leading platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, today announced that Simon Eldridge has been appointed chief operating officer. In thi...
09/01/2026
Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning ST 2110 and SDI signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initi...
09/01/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, announces that its market-proven ATSC 3.0 software stack is powering the broadcast functionality of ...
09/01/2026
Amino, a global leader in enterprise video and digital signage technology, today announced a strategic partnership with Xibo, a leading global digital signage s...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
09/01/2026
Every that was easy shopping moment is made possible by teams working to hit s...
08/01/2026
At CFP Semifinals, ESPN Again Flexes Its Operational Muscle With 20+ MegaCast Vi...
08/01/2026
SVG Students To Watch: Sophie Fowler, University of OregonThe Portland product has honed her skills as a producer, director, and TD at Quack VideoBy Brandon Cos...
08/01/2026
Follow the Money, Episode 3: Inside the Sports-Media Biz With Sam McCleery and K...
08/01/2026
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Qualstar's Jeff Sengpiehl on the Enduring Power a...
08/01/2026
Legendary February: Production Leaders at NBC Sports Pull Back the Curtain on Ol...
08/01/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today announced several updates to its Board of Directors. As part of HPA's annual governance cycle, new leader...
The Increasingly Important Role of IPTV in College & University Sports Venues 
