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Sports broadcasting is all about keeping viewers engaged, and scoreboard overlays play an important role in that. Yet sports overlays are about more than just score bugs. To create a truly captivating viewing experience (and get more likes, shares, and subscribers), you’ll need specific overlays for every part of the game from pre-show to wrap-up.
This article will explore all the overlays you need to hold your viewers’ attention from the start of your stream to sign-off.
Before your scheduled start, display a countdown timer overlay. This lets viewers know they’re in the right place and also builds anticipation and excitement while you get set up. It’s a good practice to accompany the countdown with background music.
Two overlays that you can use for the entire stream are sponsor overlays and social media overlays. Position sponsor overlays near the corner of the frame or as a small banner at the bottom of the screen, ensuring they’re visible but not in the way of your content. Throughout the stream, you can toggle on and off social media overlays to spread awareness of your social channels and point your viewers to where they can interact with your channel and fellow viewers during the stream.
In your pregame show, use lineup overlays to introduce teams and display each player's name, position, and a thumbnail image. This helps create a personal connection between your audience and the players, setting the stage for more engagement.
Use player bio overlays for star players or key matchups to provide deeper insights like statistics, notable achievements, and brief player histories. This can create a narrative and build storylines that viewers can follow throughout the game.
For team sports like football or hockey, use a formation overlay to show the starting formation as the game begins. This overlay details players' positions, offering insights into each team's strategy, enhancing the viewing experience for tactically inclined viewers.
The most important overlay during the game is the scoreboard or score bug. Ensure your score bug overlay is always visible, showing live scores, game time, and statistics like fouls or timeouts. Keeping this info accurate and updating it in real time is essential.
Throughout the game, periodically display live match stats overlays, such as ball possession, total shots, or player-specific stats, if you’re keeping track. Aim to display them during natural breaks in the action, like after a goal or during a time out, to add context to the action.
In between the action, use transition overlays to announce half-time, quarters, innings, rounds, etc.
You can also use team lineup overlays, bio overlays, and formation overlays, as mentioned above, to highlight any changes in the lineup that take place during the match.
If your stream includes half-time commentary, you can provide broader context with leaderboard overlays that show league standings or tournament brackets. This helps situate the match within a larger season or tournament narrative.
Displaying upcoming games or matches during breaks on schedule overlays keeps viewers informed and can help build anticipation for future broadcasts, improving viewer retention.
After the game, use match stats overlays to recap match statistics and performance analytics. These overlays can help summarize the gameplay, highlight key players, and discuss game-changing moments.
By displaying some or all of these overlays alongside scoreboard overlays, you can turn basic sports broadcasts into immersive viewing experiences. The result will be more engaged and informed viewers, and ultimately, faster growth for your channel.
