Summary
When Beijing Sport University set out to broadcast their inaugural “Dormitory Super League” 3v3 Basketball Tournament, they faced a challenge familiar to educational institutions worldwide: how to deliver professional-quality live sports coverage without the complexity, cost, and operational overhead of traditional broadcast systems.
The answer? A complete reimagining of their production workflow powered by Vizrt’s TriCaster Mini S and Viz 3Play.
By rethinking their production workflow, the university put a student-run team in the driver’s seat, producing more than 460 matches in just 12 days. The outcome was a polished, broadcast-level experience that pulled in over 600,000 views and showed that, with the right tools, students can deliver work that could rival professional crews.
The Old System, A Patchwork of Challenges
The university didn’t start with the system they have today. Before the Dormitory Super League, they relied on a patchwork setup. This included a 4-channel EVS for slow-motion replay, a Panasonic SDI switcher for directing, and separate post-production tools for adding graphics. The setup worked, but it came with its own challenges.
- The equipment was bulky and required extensive setup time.
- The workflow was fragmented, requiring constant coordination.
- Most critically, the learning curve was very steep. Students needed weeks of training just to operate individual components.
For a university aiming to involve students in real-world media production, BSU needed a solution that was powerful enough to deliver professional results but accessible enough for students to learn and operate independently.
An Integrated System Students Could Actually Use
Recognizing the need for a solution that would break down technical barriers, and encourage more students to participate, the university turned to ETEC (Vision Easy Tech), a Vizrt-certified partner. Their top priorities were clear: eliminate complexity, reduce the steep learning curve, and enable students to produce high-quality broadcasts with confidence. Guided by these goals, they implemented an integrated system built around the TriCaster Mini S and Viz 3Play. This made the system lightweight, flexible, and perfectly suited for the fast-paced environment of a university tournament. Paired with the TriCaster Mini S’s built-in streaming tools, it became effortless to send live games out across campus platforms and to social channels like Douyin (TikTok).
TriCaster Mini S – Vizrt’s very first software-only TriCaster – became the heart of their production hub, effortlessly integrating all signal sources for switching, graphics, and streaming. This eliminated the need for multiple devices and simplified the entire workflow.
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Better Broadcasts and Student Learning
The “Dormitory Super League” tournament became the clearest example of what the new system made possible. With intuitive, streamlined tools, a team of 48 students handled the entire live broadcast with only minimal technical oversight. The setup gave them real ownership of the production, letting their skills shine without being slowed down by complicated equipment. During implementation, several key benefits stood out:
Thanks to the intuitive interface, students managed the entire production on their own, reducing reliance on technical specialists.
The numbers speak to the quality of their work
Total Live Viewers: The streams reached a massive audience across multiple platforms.
Viewers on Douyin (TikTok): By streaming directly to platforms where students actually watch, they maximized engagement.
Short Video Views: Highlights and clips created during the live production extended the life of the content well beyond the final whistle.
Beyond the metrics, the project succeeded in turning a campus event into a “cultural extravaganza,” elevating the profile of the university’s athletics and providing a stage for star players and top-tier teams to shine.
Students who previously needed weeks of training were now running multi-camera switches, adding real-time, data-driven graphics, and delivering instant replays. Telling the story of the tournament to a much larger audience than ever before, all while gaining hands-on experience in a professional-style environment.
Why this matters for your school
Funding for athletics programs, student exposure, recruitment, alumni relations, and donor engagement all rely on video more than ever. Campuses that build live production capabilities today position themselves to compete in a world where a strong online presence shapes how they’re perceived. For schools and universities looking to grow their media programs, boost alumni engagement, or bring more visibility to their athletics, this case study offers a clear roadmap. Vizrt’s campus solutions help you :
Lower the Barrier to Entry:
Involve more students by reducing the learning curve of complex technology.
Scale Your Sports Productions:
Whether it's a single game or a 460-match tournament, ensure consistency and quality every time.
Build Real-World Skills:
Give students experience with the same tools used by major broadcasters worldwide.
Stream Where It Matters:
Easily reach audiences on mobile platforms and social media apps.
Maximize versatility:
Cover not just sports, but every important campus moment with the same tools.
Discover how this could work for your students and campus
Vizrt Campus Sports Solutions make it easy for any university, college, or school to produce professional-quality sports broadcasts with student crews. Designed for learning and storytelling, the tools give students hands-on media experience, help campuses expand their digital reach, and prepare students for careers in media and broadcasting.
