Live Streaming Cheerleading & Dance Team Competitions FAQ

Practical answers for cheer directors, dance coaches, and AV coordinators streaming competitions, showcases, and sideline performances on HometownLive.

For Viewers

Do I need an account to watch a cheer or dance competition?

No. Free events are open to anyone — no account, no app, no login required. Navigate to your school's HometownLive page and press play. If the competition is Pay-Per-View, you will need to create a free viewer account and complete a one-time purchase. The process takes under two minutes.

Can I watch on a TV through the Roku app?

Yes. If your school has enabled the Roku channel, find their HometownLive channel in the Roku Channel Store and watch on your television. Free content requires no account. For PPV competitions, complete your purchase on a phone or computer first, then open the Roku app and sign in with the same account.

Tip: If a competition runs all day, you can tune in, leave, and return — the stream stays live throughout. The full recording is also available on demand after the event ends, so you can go back to watch your squad's performance even if you missed it live.

Can I share the stream link with family who can't attend?

Yes. Copy the event URL and send it via text, email, or any messaging app. Free competitions can be watched by anyone with the link. PPV competitions require the viewer to create a free account and purchase access before watching.

For Administrators

Can we stream cheerleading and dance team competitions on HometownLive?

Yes. HometownLive supports the full range of cheer and dance programming — sideline performances at games, standalone competitions, all-day invitationals, end-of-season showcases, and color guard or drill team events. These are set up as standard events in the platform.

There are two distinct streaming use cases for cheer and dance:

Sideline at a game: Cheer and dance appear as part of the game stream. You are not running a separate event — your existing game cameras capture sideline activity during natural breaks in the action.

Standalone competitions and showcases: These are their own events. Create a dedicated event in Admin → Events, configure a channel, and run the stream independently from any other event. These competitions deserve dedicated production attention — they are the primary event, not a secondary one.

See Events (Chapter 4) for event setup and Live Channels (Chapter 3) for channel configuration.

Who is responsible for music licensing when we stream a cheer or dance performance?

Your school or district is entirely responsible for all music licensing. HometownLive provides the streaming platform only — it does not hold, manage, or provide music performance rights of any kind.

This is the most important compliance issue in cheer and dance streaming, and it is not optional:

• Cheerleading and dance routines almost always use copyrighted music — professionally produced tracks, popular songs, or licensed mixes.
• Live performance licenses (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) typically cover in-person audiences only.
• Streaming that performance over the internet is a separate type of broadcast and generally requires an additional streaming license.
• Many schools and districts hold a live performance blanket license but do not hold a corresponding internet streaming license.

Streaming copyrighted music without the appropriate license creates legal and financial exposure for your school and district. This applies whether the music is played from a competition DJ, a coach's playlist, or a routine mix purchased from a cheer supply vendor.

Direct all music licensing questions to your district's legal counsel or risk management office before streaming any cheer or dance event. Do not assume your existing licenses cover internet streaming — they likely do not.

HometownLive does not and cannot manage these licenses on your behalf.

How does cheerleading appear in a football or basketball game stream?

When you stream a football or basketball game, cheer and dance are part of that event — not a separate stream. Your game cameras will capture squad performances as they happen during timeouts, halftime, and other natural breaks.

If you want intentional coverage of sideline cheer and dance, consider:

• Designating one camera to the cheer and dance area, positioned along the sideline at a height that captures full-body tumbling and stunting
• Cutting to that camera during timeouts, halftime, and cheer blocks in your broadcast
• Calling out performances on your broadcast commentary so viewers know to watch

This approach serves both the game viewers and families of cheerleaders and dancers without requiring a second event or additional channel.

For a dedicated cheer or dance event — a competition, showcase, or performance night — set up a new event with its own configuration. See Events (Chapter 4).

How do we handle an all-day cheer or dance competition with many squads?

All-day competitions are one of the most common cheer and dance streaming scenarios. A single event on HometownLive handles it cleanly:

Before the event:

• Create one event in Admin → Events with the competition name and start time
• Write an event description that lists the schedule or squad order — this helps on-demand viewers find the part they want
• Test your encoder connection, audio levels, and camera positioning the day before or the morning of the event

During the event:

• Start your encoder before the opening ceremony and keep it running throughout the day
• Viewers can tune in and out at any time — the stream stays live continuously
• The event recording captures everything from start to finish

After the event:

• The full recording is available on demand immediately when you end the stream
• Share the event URL with all participating schools so their families can find and watch their squad's performance

For competitions with multiple simultaneous floors or gyms, each floor needs its own channel, encoder, and internet connection. Your plan determines how many simultaneous channels you can run — 2-channel plans support two floors, 4-channel plans support four.

Tip: Include squad names and approximate performance times in the event description or a pinned post. On-demand viewers searching for a specific school can scrub directly to the right section rather than watching hours of footage from the beginning.

Where should we position cameras for a cheer or dance competition?

Camera placement for cheer and dance is driven by one priority: show the full performance floor so formations, tumbling, and choreography are visible.

Primary camera — elevated and centered: Mount the main camera above and centered on the performance floor — press box level, top of the bleachers, or a camera riser in the upper seating area. This angle captures:

• Full formation shapes that are invisible from floor level
• Tumbling passes and basket tosses with proper depth
• Synchronization between performers across the floor

Secondary camera — elevated, off-center: A second camera at an angle to the floor works well for close-ups of stunt groups, individual athletes, and facial expressions during performance. Avoid shooting from directly below stunts — safety and angle both argue against it.

Avoid: Floor-level cameras as your primary angle. Formation patterns are designed to be viewed from above; a floor-level camera misses the most visually compelling elements of competitive cheer and dance.

If you are shooting in a gym, confirm your elevated position has a clear sightline across the full floor width before the event starts. Bleacher handrails, lighting rigs, and support columns are common obstructions.

How do we get good audio quality at a competition?

Audio for cheer and dance competitions has two components: the music during performances and the announcer and crowd between performances. Both need attention.

Music during performances:

The best option is a direct output from the competition's sound system mixer. Work with the competition host or DJ to request a line-level output (XLR or 1/4" TRS) from the board to your encoder's audio input. This captures the music cleanly before it has traveled through speakers into a large room.

If a direct board feed is not available, position a condenser microphone aimed at the main speaker stacks — not at the room in general. The room pickup from a camera's built-in microphone at a competition will sound muddy and distorted.

Announcer and crowd audio:

A separate microphone at your broadcast position — a cardioid condenser or a shotgun microphone aimed toward the announcer — adds broadcast energy and context between performances. If the announcer uses a PA system, a second direct feed from the PA board works even better.

Level balance: Set music levels so they peak around -6 dB on your encoder's VU meter during loud performance passages. Competition music is often mastered at high volume — leave headroom to avoid clipping.

See Live Channels (Chapter 3) for encoder audio configuration.

Can we charge Pay-Per-View for cheer and dance competitions?

Yes, and PPV is a strong fit for cheer and dance. Families of cheerleaders and dancers are among the most motivated viewers in high school activities — they travel significant distances for competitions and relatives who cannot attend will readily pay for remote access.

To configure PPV for a competition:

1. Go to Admin → Events and create the event
2. Set the access type to Paid
3. Set your price in Admin → Monetization
4. Set the event status to Active before the competition begins

For all-day events with many participating schools, consider a single PPV price that covers the full day — families value the ability to watch the entire event, not just their squad's performance. You keep the revenue.

See Monetization (Chapter 9) for the full PPV configuration walkthrough.

Can we stream color guard and winter guard competitions?

Yes. Color guard and winter guard events are set up as standard HometownLive events — the platform has no activity-specific restrictions.

Camera placement for guard is similar to competitive dance: elevated and centered to capture the full floor and the visual design of the production. Guard shows are designed to be seen from above; a floor-level camera loses the visual geometry of the show.

Audio for guard competitions follows the same rules as cheer and dance — a direct board feed is the best option. Guard productions often use pre-recorded music with layered soundscapes; capturing that cleanly is critical to the viewer experience.

Music licensing applies here as well. Guard shows almost universally use copyrighted music arranged specifically for the production. The same streaming license responsibility that applies to cheer and dance applies to guard. Direct questions to your district's legal counsel.

Can we stream drill team and pom performances?

Yes. Drill team and pom are treated the same as any other performance event on HometownLive. The camera and audio guidance for dance competitions applies directly:

• Elevated, centered primary camera to capture full-floor choreography and formations
• Direct board feed for audio when available, condenser microphone aimed at speaker stacks as the fallback
• Music licensing is your organization's responsibility — see the licensing question above

Drill team competitions hosted at your facility may have broadcasting restrictions from the sanctioning organization. Confirm that streaming is permitted with the competition host before setting up your event.

Can we stream a home game and a cheer competition at the same time?

Yes, provided your plan supports multiple simultaneous channels. HometownLive pricing is based on the number of live channels:

Plan	Simultaneous Events
2-channel (~$2,995/year)	2 events at the same time
4-channel (~$4,500/year)	4 events at the same time

Each simultaneous event requires:

• Its own channel configured in the platform
• Its own encoder (a separate computer or hardware encoder)
• Its own internet connection at the venue

If your game and your competition are at different venues, plan for two complete production setups. If they are in the same building, you still need two separate encoder outputs and two internet connections — do not split a single encoder signal across two channels.

See Live Channels (Chapter 3) for channel configuration and Users & Plans (Chapter 8) for plan details.

Can athletes use stream recordings for skills portfolios and college recruiting?

Yes. Every live stream generates a recording that is available on demand immediately after the event ends. Athletes and coaches can:

• Share the event URL directly with college coaches or recruiters
• Link to the recording in digital portfolios and athletic profiles
• Scrub to specific performances within a longer all-day competition recording

College cheer and dance programs vary in what submission formats they accept. Some accept a web-accessible video URL; others require a specific file format uploaded through their recruiting portal. Advise athletes to check submission requirements for each program they are targeting.

HometownLive does not restrict athletes from sharing or using event recordings. Recordings remain available at the event URL until you change the event status in the admin panel.

How do families find their team's specific performance in a large multi-squad event?

When many squads perform across a long competition day, helping families navigate the recording is as important as the stream itself.

Before the event:

• Write a detailed event description in Admin → Events that includes the schedule or performance order with approximate times
• Share the event URL with all participating schools so they can distribute it to their families

During the event:

• Call out each squad's name on the broadcast commentary as they take the floor
• This both serves live viewers and makes it easier to navigate the recording by audio cues

After the event:

• The full recording is available at the same event URL
• Families can scrub through the timeline to find their squad's performance based on the schedule you published
• Share squad-specific timestamps via your school's social media or parent communication channels if you want to make it even easier

HometownLive does not currently support automatic chapter markers in event recordings. Publishing a time-stamped schedule alongside the event link is the most effective way to help families navigate long all-day events.