Appreciating Our Roots: A Message to the NFHS Network Founder’s Club
Since the first high school sports event streamed by the NFHS Network, way back in 2009, our membership has grown at a spectacular rate. Now, with more than 5,700 member schools taking advantage of our OTT platform, and with more than 1 million streamed events under our belts, the time seems right to pause and reflect on the contributions of our original partners who helped make it all possible.?
The NFHS Network has announced the launch of our Founders Club, which recognizes the 50 schools that signed on as our earliest members. From Alabama’s Cullman High School to Tennessee’s Wilson Central High School, the athletic departments and administrations from our original partners invested in the vision of NFHS Network. The Founders Club bought into the concept of a subscriber-supported digital broadcasting platform that could bring more eyes to local high school sports – and more funding to support them.
“High schools have some of the most passionate fans in all of sports, and they covet the ability to cheer on the student-athletes and schools they support when they cannot physically be in attendance,” said David Rudolph, CEO and founder of PlayOn! Sports, NFHS Network’s holding company. “Streaming over 1 million events is a remarkable accomplishment, but our sights are now set on 4 million. Our ‘Founders Club’ represents some of our company’s biggest champions and will continue to be integral to our growth.”
It all started with a new model for broadcasting high school sports, one that sought to provide every school – no matter the size of its enrollment, staff or budget – with the tools needed to run (and profit from) a proprietary digital sports channel. By furnishing member schools with automated cameras and an easy-to-use OTT platform at no charge, NFHS Network helped begin the process of democratizing local high school sports broadcasting. During the pandemic, our platform assisted in bridging the spectator and funding gaps for schools across the country.
With local newspapers and broadcast media in decline for years now, high school sports had begun to receive less media coverage in general. Although social media and increasingly affordable video technology has since helped raise the profile of some of the brightest stars in prep sports, local audiences, niche sports and the typical high school athlete were largely left out of the equation. It wasn’t until the members of the NFHS Network’s Founders Club committed to this new model that all those involved in high school athletics – players, fans and schools – were appropriately served.?
Now any school, regardless of production budget or staffing, can offer consistent, comprehensive sports coverage to a fervent local audience. NFHS Network has helped dismantle distance as a barrier: For older fans who, in the wake of the pandemic, may be less likely to travel to large social events, for the mobility impaired and for those busy at work or abroad – all are now able to watch games that otherwise wouldn’t have been available to them.
We’re acknowledging the 50 members of our Founders Club not only for their tenure alone, but also for their belief in our vision. Much like the NFHS Network itself, these partners have evolved since our earliest days together. As our biggest champions, these original members continue to find new and innovative ways to deploy our proprietary equipment and software, even outside of sports – including graduations, guest speakers, interviews, news and award ceremonies.
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The Founders Club banner and certification sent to each of our original members in recognition of their role in the success of NFHS Network are just small tokens of our appreciation. We hope to fully repay the support of our founding partners with our heartfelt thanks, ongoing innovation and continued loyal support of high school athletics.
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