The Lake Conference Network, a unified streaming service for high school sports and fine arts events, is set to launch Aug. 15, officials announced Thursday.
The online platform will cover all athletic competitions and performances across the eight-member Lake Conference: Buffalo, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, St. Michael-Albertville, and Wayzata.
Described as the first conference-wide streaming initiative of its kind in Minnesota, the network will broadcast all levels of competition – from ninth grade to varsity – across 16 sports. It will also include non-conference home games hosted by Lake Conference schools.
Varsity events will feature play-by-play announcers, and each season – fall, winter and spring – will include a weekly highlight show. The network also plans to expand its reach through dedicated social media coverage of student-athletes, teams and schools.
“This partnership will allow Lake Conference students educational opportunities through their school and give them the experience in a sports and media pathway earlier than ever before,” said Troy Stein, an assistant principal and the activities director at Edina High School.
The network will be run in partnership with LiveBarn Minnesota, a digital broadcast company that specializes in livestreaming youth and amateur sports. The five-year agreement will be exclusive to the Lake Conference Network website.
“It has been a long time coming since we first introduced the idea during the 2012–13 season,” said Pete Waggoner, chief operating officer of LiveBarn Minnesota. “The Lake Conference is considered one of the best conferences in Minnesota – and the nation. To be affiliated with these schools is a huge honor.”
In addition to sports coverage, the Lake Conference Network will stream live fine arts and music performances from member schools’ auditoriums.
The network also plans to collaborate with each school’s media program to give students hands-on opportunities in announcing, production and other multimedia roles.
More details, including subscription information, are expected ahead of the August launch.
For media inquiries, contact Matt Harrington, director of broadcast and content at LiveBarn Minnesota, at Matt.Harrington@livebarn.com or 215-669-2317.
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