Send photos live during a sports event

Prepare for live sending at a sports event

A successful live send starts before the event day. Here's the checklist for a sports event.

1. Create your gallery on Snapdelivr and get the FTP settings (server, port, username, password, path).
2. Configure FTP on your camera in advance (see our per-camera guides). Test the connection at home before the event.
3. Prepare your hotspot: check your data plan, charge your phone, and note the network name/password.
4. Bring extra batteries for the camera and a power bank for the phone.
5. Set your camera to send JPEGs (fine quality) rather than RAW: files are smaller and transfer is faster.

For a sports event, typical volume is 500-2000 photos. Calculate about 5-10 MB per JPEG to estimate data usage.

Day-of workflow

On the day of the sports event, follow this workflow for smooth, stress-free sending.

1. Arrive early and turn on your phone's hotspot. Connect your camera to the phone's Wi-Fi network.
2. Check that FTP works by taking a test photo. It should appear in your Snapdelivr gallery within seconds.
3. Enable automatic FTP transfer on your camera. Each photo taken will be sent in the background while you keep shooting.
4. Regularly check the camera's transfer queue to make sure photos are being sent.
5. If you lose connection, don't panic: queued photos will be sent automatically when connectivity returns.

Manage connectivity during the sports event

Network connectivity is the lifeline of live sending. Here's how to handle typical situations at a sports event.

1. If the venue has Wi-Fi, test it first. If stable, connect your camera directly to venue Wi-Fi rather than your hotspot.
2. If Wi-Fi is unstable or unavailable, switch to your phone's 4G/5G hotspot.
3. In areas with weak coverage, move near a window or step outside briefly to send queued photos.
4. Monitor your data usage if on hotspot: about 5-10 MB per high-quality JPEG.

Outdoors (stadium, field), 4G/5G is often the only option. Use a plan with plenty of data and check venue coverage before the event.

Pro tips for a successful sports event

Our tips for flawless live sending at a sports event.

1. Communicate with the organizer beforehand about network conditions and venue constraints.
2. Always bring an Ethernet cable and USB-Ethernet adapter as backup if your camera supports it.
3. In sports, photo volume is high. Set up automatic FTP sending to save time and send JPEGs to keep transfers smooth.
4. Let your clients know about the live gallery: it's a powerful selling point that can justify a premium.