Poplar Bluff schools looking to livestream events

The Poplar Bluff R-I school district is looking into reaching a broader audience for events and games.

It is in conversations with the radio station to start livestreaming events.

Dr. Scott Dill, superintendent, said the conversation came up after he and board members received questions from members of the community about why the district isn’t livestreaming when others are.

Once the equipment is in, Dill said, they’ll conduct a couple test runs and gauge response to them.

“Then, we’ll work out an agreement with the radio station for the rights and compensation,” Dill said. “In lieu of potential lost revenue in the game, it won’t be a lot. I think that there’s a trade off here, and that’s the conversation we’re engaged in right now.”

Dill said the people who want to come to games likely still will, but there’s some who don’t feel safe right now to come out and others who live out of the area, but would be interested in watching a game.

“What I discovered, when I did this previously in another district, is that the balance of your viewership has to come from people who are hometown people who no longer live in your own town,” Dill said. “We’ve got a lot of Mules graduates around the world that I think will tune in watch a Friday night basketball game.”