Supercharge Your Sports Stream with Scoreboard OCR

If you’ve ever watched a professional sports broadcast, you’ve seen how real-time data transforms a simple video into a high-stakes narrative. While we’ve previously covered how to link overlays to Scorebird, we know many of you are looking for even more ways to bring live data into your production.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to connect Scoreboard OCR directly to your uno overlays, ensuring your fans stay updated with every tick of the clock.

Why Use Real-Time Data Overlays?

Using real-time overlays is a major upgrade over static graphics. Instead of manually typing in scores while you are trying to commentate or manage a broadcast, data-driven overlays do the work for you.

• Better Engagement. Visualizing the score, fouls, and penalties helps viewers process information instantly.
• Increased Professionalism. A live-updating scoreboard gives your stream a polished, big-network feel that sets you apart.
• Viewer Retention. Overlays help people tuning in mid-stream catch up on exactly what they missed.

Prerequisites for Scoreboard OCR

Before you dive in, make sure you have your gear in order. You don't want to be halfway through a setup only to realize you're missing a key component.

• uno Plus Subscription. This is vital. While our free tier is great for beginners, the high frequency of sports data (like clock updates) requires the higher rate limits found in uno Plus.
• Software Version. Ensure you are running Scoreboard OCR minimum version 25.09.09.
• The Right Template. Most of our sports overlays are ready to go, but if you don't see the ocrClock field in your chosen template, just submit a support ticket asking to "Please activate OCR support for template XXX."

Step-by-Step: Connecting to uno

The process is designed to be as effortless as adding a browser source to OBS.

1. Grab Your uno Token

Open your desired overlay in Control Mode on the uno website. In the upper right-hand corner, click the Key icon to copy your unique access token.

2. Configure Scoreboard OCR

Open Scoreboard OCR and navigate to the output options:

1. Choose “overlays.uno” as your output option.
2. Enter your access token in the following format:
   https://app.singular.live/apiv2/controlapps/<YOUR_TOKEN_HERE>

3. Match Your Fields

Once the output status turns green, you're cooking with gas! Use your mouse to hover over the output to see which field names are being sent. It is crucial to use the exact same field names in Scoreboard OCR as those defined in your uno overlay (e.g., "Team 1 Score"). You can select these easily from the drop-down box when adding or editing fields.

Pro-Tips and Known Limitations

The "Basketball Problem": Standard uno Plus accounts support updates 60 times per second. However, basketball clocks in the final minute often update 600 times per second (1/10th of a second intervals). This will exceed the rate limit.

The Fix: Use a custom script within Scoreboard OCR to convert the Time (mm:ss, ss:d) field back to a standard Time (mm:ss) format. This keeps your data clean and your connection stable.

Controlling the Action

If you find it overwhelming to manage data feeds and your stream at the same time, remember that you can control uno overlays from a mobile device or a Stream Deck. Programming a Stream Deck key to toggle your scoreboard can save you from a lot of mid-game stress.

Ready to Level Up?

By integrating Scoreboard OCR, you're not just showing a score; you're telling a story. If you're still feeling stuck or want to see how other pros are setting up their sports broadcasts, join us over on the uno Discord to chat with our community.

Check out our library of free and professional sports overlays today!

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