Activities association signs up for webcast of postseason games

PIERRE — Starting in the next school year, high school sports fans separated by distance from their favorite team will be able to follow the postseason action on the Internet.
On Monday the South Dakota High School Activities Association entered a five-year agreement with NFHS Network to provide Internet coverage of sub-state postseason games. South Dakota Public Broadcasting will continue its exclusive coverage of state tournaments.
For the rights to those games, the NFHS Network will pay the association $35,000 a year, according to chief executive officer Mark Koski. A fan logging in to the NFHS Network would pay $9.95 which allows for a month of viewing.
Koski said the network has broadcast more than 250,000 events. Statistics show that 80 percent of the network’s viewers are located an average of 150 miles from the site of the game. Koski said most viewers are grandparents, parents who are overseas or casual fans from outside the state.
Board member Steve Moore of Watertown wondered how the new relationship would change the way games are currently broadcast in his town where radio stations and the newspaper offer those games on the Internet.

“By and large, those media outlets do us a favor,” said board member Brian Maher of Sioux Falls.
Koski said through local outlet broadcasting, the game could continue as long as it shares its stream with the NFHS Network. Viewers of those games would not need to pay the NFHS Network fee.
Currently South Dakota media outlets that stream substate games pay a small fee or allow time on the broadcast for SDHSAA public service announcements.
Asked about his member’s concerns, South Dakota Newspaper Association Executive Director Dave Bordewyk said a change in the fee structure was the most troubling aspect.
“They’d like to see something similar” to the current fee structure, Bordewyk said.
The SDHSAA board approved the sale of substate broadcast rights on a 7-0 vote. They were also unanimous in their approval of an agreement with Huddle Tickets, also represented by Koski.
He explained that the association would be guaranteed $10,000 to allow Huddle Tickets to provide e-tickets at substate events. The association would also be able to collect 30 cents from the $1.50 convenience fee charged for being able to get the tickets online.
Venues that have access to Ticketmaster or another ticketing system would not need to use Huddle Tickets. Tickets would still be available at the box office for fans.
Board member David Planteen of Baltic asked if there would be training for ticket takers to be able to understand the system that will allow fans to bring tickets to the game on their phones.
“You watch a two-minute video and you’re ready to go,” Koski said.