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To bring an away playoff game home, park an LED screen at the school or in town, play the game’s stream on it, and add sound that reaches the back of the crowd. Most booster clubs need a 12′ × 7′ or 16′ × 9′ screen, a wired or strong cellular connection with a backup, and the school’s approval, all inside one game week.
How does the game get onto the screen?
Playoff rounds stream on NFHS Network, which has first rights to the UIL postseason games it covers. Victory+, which had a deal for some playoff games and the state finals, shut down in September 2026. All 12 state championship games air free on Nexstar and Mission TV stations, which in DFW means CW33 (KDAF).
Check the rights before you promote it. NFHS Network’s terms limit its streams to personal, non-commercial viewing and don’t allow public showings, and the UIL warns against unauthorized transmissions of postseason games. For a watch party open to the public, get written permission from NFHS Network or the UIL (pr@uiltexas.org) first, and never charge admission. A private gathering for players’ families is a different question than a public event, so ask either way.
- Sign in early. Buy any pass or subscription days ahead, and write down the login. The person who knows the password is rarely the one running the screen.
- Plug in over HDMI. A streaming device or a laptop connects straight to the screen.
- Wire it if you can. A wired line from the school beats Wi-Fi. If you’re on cellular, run a speed test where the trailer will park. One school that streams its games on NFHS Network tells viewers that a download speed under 5 Mbps may be why video is choppy.
- Keep a backup. Put a second device on a separate hotspot so the technician can switch over in seconds.
- Test the actual game. About an hour before kickoff, open the stream for your game and let it play.
- Check that a group showing is allowed. Before you promote a public watch party, have your athletic director confirm with the streaming service, and don’t charge admission.
How big a screen, and what about sound?
A 12′ × 7′ screen ($2,750) suits a crowd up to about 300, and a 16′ × 9′ screen ($3,750) up to about 1,500. If the whole town is coming, try the screen size planner. Every package includes four hours of show time, delivery within 30 miles of downtown Dallas, setup, onboard power, and an on-site technician. Four hours covers warmups and a typical game. An extra hour is $250 if you want room for overtime.
The play-by-play matters as much as the picture. Pro sound ($395) adds speakers, a mixer, and a wireless mic for the pep rally before kickoff and the announcements at halftime.
Where should the screen go?
- Your own stadium. The crowd already knows the way, and the bleachers are built for it. If the stadium has a video board, ask whether it can show the stream. A trailer helps when it can’t, or when the board faces away from the home stands.
- A gym or school parking lot. Flat pavement, restrooms nearby, and lights after dark.
- A school lawn or town square. Easy for families to walk to. A town square is city property, so it needs the city’s approval.
Keep the trailer on firm ground, with side light rather than the sunset behind the screen, and leave a clear lane for strollers, wheelchairs, and emergency access.
School approvals and permits
On campus, the district’s facility-use process and the athletic director come first. Off campus, a park or street usually needs a city special event permit. The DFW outdoor event permit guide lists what most cities ask for. Tell us the venue contact in your booking request and we’ll confirm the parking spot and power plan with them before game day.
Let sponsors cover the screen
A playoff run draws the kind of crowd local businesses want to reach. Sell a handful of sponsor slides to run during timeouts and halftime. Send us the logos, or add sponsor loop design for $295 and we’ll build up to 10 slides. The sponsor guide has tier prices and an email you can send.
A plan that fits in one game week
Each round’s opponent, site, and kickoff time depend on the week before, so you rarely know much before Sunday. Screens are first come, first served, and a date isn’t yours until we confirm it.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before the playoffs start | Pick a spot, get the school’s OK in principle, and line up a few sponsors |
| Night of a win | Send a booking request with the likely date. We answer the same business day |
| When the matchup is set | Confirm the date and start time, and find out which service carries the game |
| Two days out | Buy the stream, collect sponsor logos, and post the details |
| Game day, 2 hours before kickoff | Crew arrives, sets up the screen, and tests the stream and backup |
| 30 minutes before kickoff | Sponsor loop and pep rally on the mic |
This season’s state championships are set for December 16–19, 2026, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. If the team makes a deep run, every round is another watch party, so get the school’s OK for the whole postseason at once.
Booking the screen
Build your estimate with the likely date, your crowd size, and the spot you have in mind. Our schools and sports and watch party pages have more, and the watch party guide covers layout and backups in detail.
