How to Set Up Live Streaming for a Track Meet

Live streaming a track meet used to require a dedicated camera operator, a streaming encoder, and a production setup borrowed from a local TV station. In 2026, a meet director with a phone, a laptop, and an internet connection can broadcast every field event live — with no camera crew, no encoder hardware, and no streaming account.

This guide covers both approaches: streaming from a phone or tablet at the venue, and connecting fixed facility cameras that your venue already has installed.

What You Need to Stream a Track Meet

Minimum setup (phone broadcast)

• A phone or tablet with a cellular data connection (or strong WiFi)
• RecordBoard meet management software
• The companion broadcast feature enabled (built into RecordBoard)

That's it. No additional hardware, no OBS, no accounts on streaming platforms. Viewers watch live video and live results together on the public scoreboard page.

Facility camera setup (RTSP relay)

If your venue already has fixed IP cameras — common at college programs and established USATF facilities — you can connect them directly through RecordBoard's Facility Camera Connect feature:

• Fixed PoE, AXIS, or any network IP camera with an RTSP URL
• RecordBoard Sync desktop app (Windows .exe or macOS .dmg)
• FFmpeg installed on the operator's laptop (standard for timing operators; free from ffmpeg.org)

No encoder, no OBS, no RTMP destination. The desktop app bridges the camera feed directly into a live stream on RecordBoard.

Option 1: Phone or Tablet Broadcast

This is the fastest setup and works for any meet, even without existing camera infrastructure.

Steps:

1. Open RecordBoard on the device you're using as a broadcast camera
2. Navigate to the competition you're managing
3. Tap the broadcast button — the device immediately starts sending live video through RecordBoard's live streaming service
4. Viewers open the public scoreboard URL for your meet — they see live video and live results in the same view

Coverage strategy:

For a small meet, one phone covering the primary field event area is sufficient. For larger invitationals:

• Assign one broadcast device per event area (throws circle, horizontal jump runway, vault pit)
• Broadcast devices rotate between events as flights progress
• Devices work on cellular — no venue WiFi required

What viewers see:

The public scoreboard URL shows live video from whatever device is currently broadcasting, alongside real-time results as judges record attempts. No account required to view.

Option 2: Facility Camera Connect (RTSP Relay)

College programs, USATF clubs, and large high school programs that have invested in fixed venue cameras can use those cameras for live streaming without any additional hardware setup.

How it works:

RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) is the standard network protocol used by fixed IP cameras from manufacturers like AXIS, Hikvision, Bosch, and others. Every PoE camera on a local network has an RTSP URL you can use to access the video feed.

RecordBoard Sync — the desktop app that timing operators already run for FinishLynx integration — includes a Facility Camera Connect panel. You paste the camera's RTSP URL, hit Start, and the desktop app reads the feed and relays it into RecordBoard's live streaming service.

Setup steps:

1. Get the RTSP URL for each camera (usually found in the camera's admin interface — something like rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/stream1)
2. Install RecordBoard Sync on the timing operator's laptop (same app used for FinishLynx)
3. Open the Facility Camera tab, paste the RTSP URL, and hit Start
4. The camera feed goes live immediately — viewers watch on the public scoreboard URL

Finding your camera's RTSP URL:

Most cameras expose their RTSP URL in the web admin interface. Common formats:

• AXIS: rtsp://[ip]/axis-media/media.amp
• Hikvision: rtsp://[ip]:554/Streaming/Channels/101
• Generic ONVIF: rtsp://[ip]:554/onvif/device_service

Check your camera's documentation or ask your facilities/IT team if you're not sure.

Video encoding software requirement:

RecordBoard's facility camera relay requires video encoding software (FFmpeg) to read the camera stream. It's free and widely installed — most timing operators running FinishLynx setups already have it. If not, download it from ffmpeg.org and add it to your system PATH. The RecordBoard Sync app will verify the installation on first launch.

Combining Both Approaches

Many larger meets use both: facility cameras at fixed positions (the discus cage, the shot put ring, the pole vault runway) for the events where cameras are already installed, plus a phone broadcast for events in areas without fixed cameras.

The switching between camera sources is handled automatically by RecordBoard — when you start a broadcast from a phone, it takes priority. When you stop the phone broadcast, the facility camera feed returns.

Broadcasting to YouTube or Twitch

If you want to extend your live stream to YouTube Live, Twitch, or another RTMP destination, add OBS to the setup:

1. Install OBS Studio (free, works on Windows and macOS)
2. Add RecordBoard as an OBS Browser Source — this gives you the live scoreboard overlay (current standings, top marks, attempt counts) directly in your stream graphics
3. Add your video source (phone via NDI, capture card, or screen capture)
4. Connect OBS to your YouTube or Twitch stream key

The RecordBoard OBS overlay is transparent, composites over any camera feed, and auto-advances between events. A standard high school invitational stream can look like a college broadcast production with this setup.

See the full OBS broadcast setup guide for step-by-step instructions.

Checklist: Before the Meet

Phone broadcast setup:

• [ ] Broadcast device charged (or on a portable battery)
• [ ] Cellular data plan active and confirmed (AT&T/Verizon tend to perform better at outdoor venues)
• [ ] RecordBoard app open and signed in
• [ ] Public scoreboard URL shared with coaches and posted in the meet program

Facility camera setup:

• [ ] Camera RTSP URLs confirmed and tested before meet day
• [ ] Video encoding software (FFmpeg) installed on the timing operator's laptop
• [ ] RecordBoard Sync installed and signed in
• [ ] Camera feed tested in the Facility Camera tab — confirm the feed appears in RecordBoard before the meet starts
• [ ] Network access confirmed (camera and laptop on the same LAN, or VPN if remote)

Common Questions

Does streaming affect judging performance? No. The broadcast functionality runs separately from the judging and results recording workflow. Judges entering attempts on their devices are not affected by whether streaming is active.

Can I stream multiple events simultaneously? Yes — with multiple facility cameras, each connected to a different RTSP URL in RecordBoard Sync, you can have all events streaming at once. Viewers see whichever feed is currently selected as primary on the scoreboard page.

Does it work without internet at the venue? The facility camera relay requires an internet connection to push the feed to RecordBoard's live streaming servers. For venues with no internet, a phone broadcast over cellular is the better option. RecordBoard's meet management features (judging, scoring, flight management) work fully offline regardless.

Is there a cost to live streaming? Live streaming is included as a per-meet add-on in RecordBoard's paid plans. Check pricing for current rates.

Related Resources

• Track Meet Management Software: What to Look for in 2026
• Field Event Judging Checklist for Meet Officials