AD 360 — The Power of Streaming to Engage Fans and Students

Podcast: AD 360
Host: PlayOn Sports
Episode: The Power of Streaming to Engage Fans and Students
Guests: Greg Vandermade (Host), Scott Rosenberg (Co-host), Wiley Ballard (Bally Sports/Braves Radio Network)
Date: September 25, 2024

Episode Overview

This episode explores the transformative impact of live streaming on high school sports, with a special focus on how it enhances fan engagement, student opportunities, and community connection. Wiley Ballard, a broadcaster whose own career began in high school streaming, joins former athletic directors Greg Vandermade and Scott Rosenberg for a lively, insightful, and often personal conversation about the power of streaming in shaping the experience of sports for students, parents, and entire school communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wiley Ballard’s Background & the Early Days of Streaming

• Wiley’s broadcasting journey began in high school when PlayOn Sports was introducing streaming to schools (03:10).
  • “It almost feels like my career kind of paralleled along with the rise of streaming, not just at the high school level, obviously, at the college level, really.” — Wiley (05:26)
• Streaming created opportunities for young people to pursue broadcasting far earlier than before.
• Covering friends and classmates brought a unique sense of fulfillment and community.

2. Empowering Students & Building Leadership

• The culture of student-led production, fostered by visionary faculty like Daniel Searle, was instrumental.
  • “The best thing he did…was how much he empowered students. If you have an idea, go do it. You need to take accountability for it.” — Wiley (09:04)
• Faculty faith in students—allowing live productions and trusting teenagers—resulted in genuine, authentic content.

3. Authenticity, Ownership, and Community

• High school productions have “soul and character”—and the personal connections matter most (12:18).
  • “Anyone who goes to a high school game…they’ve got a personal relationship with somebody on the field. You don’t have that in the NFL.” — Wiley (12:24)
• Mistakes and imperfections are part of what make these streams special and relatable.

4. Transferable Skills & Professional Development

• Student involvement teaches poise, communication, accountability, and leadership (14:34).
  • “Getting in front of a camera and delivering a message…that’s a skill critical for any organization.” — Wiley (15:10)
• These experiences open career paths, not only in media but in many professions.

5. Fan Engagement: Unique Opportunities with Streaming

• Local streaming allows for “insider” stories, flexible promotion of other school activities, and direct community messaging (16:11).
  • “It’s like your own channel…where you can incorporate all sorts of different messaging and important ventures or efforts that somebody else in the community is making.” — Wiley (17:38)
• Captive audiences—students, families, and alumni watching streams—are highly invested.

6. Making Sports Accessible & Creating Lasting Memories

• Streaming brings games to a wider audience—family members far away, parents at work, alumni, and more (22:01).
• Broadcasts go beyond scores; they create highlights, memories, and shared experiences.
• “When you can see it, as opposed to just hearing it, you’re going to be a little more invested in it.” — Wiley (23:03)
• Touching stories about sick relatives and students’ pride in reliving past games underline the emotional connections enabled by streaming (26:32, 28:19).

7. High School vs. Professional Streaming: Surprising Similarities

• Operationally, there are fewer differences than expected; main gaps are resources and experience, not process (30:18).
• “As far as covering the game and setting up the audio and working on transmission…the process is very similar.” — Wiley (31:25)
• Technology and features like replay are coming to high schools, mirroring higher levels.

8. Advice for Schools: Starting and Sustaining Student Streaming Programs

• Start simple—don’t be intimidated by polished productions at other schools (38:52).
• Flexibility is crucial; success doesn’t mean sticking to a rigid, varsity-like structure.
  • “You’ve got to be willing to be flexible…Having the end goal just be, get something on the air.” — Wiley (43:14)
• Building consistency is more important than perfection—fans need to know they can count on a broadcast.

9. Advice for Students Interested in Media Careers

• Value every role—on-air, behind the scenes, tech support; learning every aspect makes you versatile (47:24).
  • “Everybody needed to know how to do almost everything…being committed just kind of helped our culture.” — Wiley (47:44)
• Take pride in every job, no matter how small: reliability, flexibility, and a positive attitude are crucial (53:42, 54:33).
  • “Any chance you can get to get your foot in the door and demonstrate that you are a competent, attentive employee…is almost more important than having the necessary skill sets.” — Wiley (56:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Eating Grasshoppers in Seattle (Light moment)
  “When in Rome, I’m just gonna chug this whole little bucket here. Not sure I’d do it again, but I’m glad I did it once.” — Wiley (01:39)

• On High School Streaming’s Value
  “I tell people all the time, the majority of the work I’ve done has really been streaming.” — Wiley (05:41)

• On Building a Student-Run Program
  “If you have an idea, go do it… you need to take accountability for it. I’m giving you the green light, but you have to be the one providing the fuel.” — Wiley (09:04)

• On the Emotional Power of Streaming
  “My father has been extremely sick…and he said the reason he stayed alive as long as he did was because he knew the game was coming up on Friday night, and we were in the quarterfinals.” — Wiley (26:44)

• On Posterity and Community Spirit
  “You can go back and watch it…How cool is that? It helps in fundraising and keeping alumni involved, because those memories are more accessible than just distantly in your mind.” — Wiley (28:19)

• On Advice for Advisors Starting a Program
  “Don’t feel like you either have to do it that way or you can’t do it at all. The most important thing is getting it started…Just get something on the air.” — Wiley (38:52)

• On Advice for Young Broadcasters/Students
  “Make sure that you’re not just there to roll in there and I’m the announcer… be available to fill a lot of different roles…that’s been one of the reasons I’ve been able to keep doing this for so long.” — Wiley (47:46; 52:44)

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• Introduction & Icebreaker (Grasshopper story): 01:09–02:46
• Wiley’s Broadcasting Origin Story: 03:10–06:51
• Empowering Students & Authenticity: 08:46–12:18
• The Broader Impact of Streaming for Students: 13:17–15:32
• Fan Engagement & Campus Promotion through Streaming: 16:11–21:31
• Making School Sports Accessible: 22:01–24:52
• Powerful Community Stories: 26:32–29:28
• Production Comparisons (HS, College, Pro): 30:18–32:45
• Advice for Schools Starting Streaming: 38:52–46:13
• Advice for Students/Young Broadcasters: 47:24–57:14
• Closing Reflections & Gratitude: 57:54–58:36

Conclusion

This episode of AD 360 offers an engaging and instructive look at the power of live streaming in high school athletics, emphasizing the opportunities it creates for students, the connections it fosters for communities, and the skills it can build for the future. Both practical and heartfelt, the episode is a testament to the lifelong impact of giving students ownership and visibility—with streaming technology tying it all together.

For more episodes of AD 360, subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.