Roller derby, ultimate frisbee, pickleball, Gaelic games, volleyball… These are just some of the niche sports that have set up independent streams for reach and recognition from their fans and beyond. Far from reinventing the wheel, these underrepresented sports are simply putting themselves on the streaming stage instead of waiting for a commercial platform to do it for them. It is a logical step in reaching more of their fans and promoting the sport they know and love. Most are filming on smartphones or automated cameras, which offer high functionality without the need for a specialized operator, making broadcasting more accessible than ever before. This shift democratizes production as well as access to the content itself, allowing fans around the world to watch, support, and engage with their communities directly.

‍

In this article, we explore some of these real-world cases where niche sports set up independent streams, how independent broadcasting offers a lifeline for underrepresented communities, and how System73 can support the infrastructure behind these efforts. 

‍

Niche sports set up independent streams

‍

From community leagues to emerging superstars, niche sports are proving that a modest setup and stable internet connection are all they need to reach their fans and begin to gain recognition on a more global scale. In the world of women’s roller derby in 2018, volunteer crews for the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association sidestepped legacy broadcasters to use PTZ cameras and cloud switching to help WFTDA.tv stream entire tournament weekends live to Twitch, YouTube, and a paid web app. In 2019, the Ultimate Frisbee Association in the U.S. launched WatchUFA.tv, a $11.99-per-month service that offers full-season access to live and VOD tournaments and a free “Friday Night Frisbee” game on YouTube, accessible around the world. 

‍

In some regions, efforts to stream niche sports have even been taken on at a national level. In Ireland, the Gaelic Athletic Association launched GAA+ in 2025, promising 40 exclusive football and hurling championship fixtures for €79 per season and full global VOD access. In Europe, volleyball fans can watch EuroVolleyTV, a CEV-owned platform that streams indoor, beach and even snow events on a flexible pay-per-match or season-pass basis, allowing the broadcasters themselves to keep control of rights, data and sponsorships. These few examples demonstrate how a minimal onsite crew, an entry-level multicamera setup and a reliable internet connection are all that’s needed to reach fans around the world. 

‍

Underrepresented sports and leagues get a platform

‍

Independent streams are proving to be a lifeline for underrepresented communities in sport, especially women’s leagues, LGBTQ+ inclusive competitions, and culturally specific games that rarely receive airtime on traditional networks. These sports and sporting organizations are able to showcase their talent on their own terms, without needing to fit a narrative defined by commercial broadcasters. As mentioned above, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s global streaming platform prioritizes athlete-led storytelling, inclusive commentary and access for fans anywhere in the world. 

‍

In mainstream broadcasting, airtime is often dictated by market size or advertiser contracts, conditions that routinely marginalize minority voices and non-traditional formats. Independent streams allow organizations to communicate with their audience more authentically. They also allow for greater diversity behind the camera, for more collaborative decision-making processes, and more innovative formats. What’s more important is that this puts the control back into the hands of the creators and athletes. In a more direct connection with their fans, they simultaneously gain recognition and are empowered to define how their sport is represented. 

‍

System73 supports niche broadcasting for greater reach

‍

For niche sports looking to broadcast leagues and games, reach and recognition matter just as much as quality. Both loyal fans and newcomer viewers value the reliability of streams, especially when they’re live. System73’s infrastructure is built to solve the very challenges niche broadcasters often face, including latency and unpredictable network conditions. To manage this, our live streaming solution, Edge Intelligence, treats content delivery like a logistics network. This AI-powered technology observes the open internet, over the first, middle and last mile, to identify the most reliable pathway over which to send content. It then builds centrally-orchestrated peer-to-peer broadcast trees to send each viewer the highest possible bitrate for their device while offloading up to 80% of traffic from conventional CDNs.

‍

That resilience is already proven on tough terrain. Jordanian broadcaster Amman TV, which operates in one of the highest-latency regions in the world, onboarded System73 in 2024 to allow Edge Intelligence to route its satellite TV show with news and entertainment content to thousands of viewers across the country in real time. Since implementing Edge Intelligence, audiences now enjoy high-definition content at 1080p, even in remote areas. Edge Intelligence has also significantly reduced the load on CDNs, at times by up to 90%, resulting in lower production costs for the operations team and higher QoE for viewers. With the ability to scale nationwide and beyond, niche sports looking to broadcast should look to System73 for support to provide the stability, scalability, and cost-efficiency to turn independent broadcasting into a reliable and long-term strategy. 

For more insights into trends in live streaming and content consumption or to find out more about our content delivery solutions, visit system73.com.