The Town of Huntsville has approved a partnership with LiveBarn, a new streaming service that will broadcast events from local arenas.
During the Feb. 25 general committee meeting, Greg Pilling, manager of facility operations, presented an updated report outlining a cost-recovery model for the installation and management of the LiveBarn video streaming platform.
This follows an initial deputation at a general committee meeting last September and a motion from November that was postponed due to concerns about program costs.
Pilling said following discussions with the Huntsville Girls Hockey Association (HGHA), staff developed a framework that ensures zero cost to the Town while fully covering the administrative expenses associated with managing LiveBarn.
According to the report, LiveBarn will operate only during the HGHA season, from October to March, including playoffs, for approximately 28 weeks per year.
Town staff will oversee administration for about two hours per week, totaling roughly 56 hours annually at an estimated cost of $1,600. The LiveBarn camera will be turned off during the off-season from April to September, requiring no administrative time.
Pilling said expected LiveBarn revenue for a town of 20,000 residents with two arenas is approximately $2,000 per year, resulting in a full cost-recovery model with no expense to taxpayers or user groups.
As a result, council authorized staff to enter into an agreement with LiveBarn for the installation and operation of their video streaming service in both Canada Summit Centre arenas.
