08/21/2026
After more than 13 years of covering local high school football, this is a post we never wanted to have to make.
Unfortunately, due to a significant decrease in sponsorship commitments this season, FastPlaySports will not be providing our regular football coverage this year.
We are incredibly disappointed.
For more than a decade, we have worked hard to make local sports coverage available to our communities at no cost to the viewer. That has only been possible because of the businesses and organizations that believed in what we were doing and supported us through sponsorship.
Over the years, we have explored other ways to make the numbers work, including pay-per-view coverage, which has become increasingly common among sports production companies throughout Indiana.
We also know firsthand how our audience feels about that model.
In the past, FastPlaySports was contracted to produce regional and state tournament games in which another company—not FastPlaySports—charged viewers to watch the broadcast. Even though we had no involvement in setting or collecting those fees, much of the frustration was understandably directed toward us because our cameras, announcers and production crew were the ones people saw.
We understand that reaction. When viewers have enjoyed something at no charge for years, suddenly being asked to pay for it can be frustrating. At the same time, producing a quality live sports broadcast is far from free. There are equipment costs, travel, internet and transmission expenses, production personnel, insurance, software, maintenance and countless hours behind the scenes.
If we could have found a reasonable way to make football coverage financially sustainable this season without placing that burden on our viewers, we absolutely would have done it.
The reality is that the advertising and sponsorship world has changed considerably over the past several years. The economy has created challenges for many businesses, while larger companies have increasingly shifted marketing dollars toward digital campaigns, social media, targeted advertising and centralized corporate strategies.
Those approaches certainly have value, but one unfortunate result can be fewer dollars available for local community sponsorships.
And those local sponsorship dollars matter more than people sometimes realize.
When a business sponsors FastPlaySports, it isn’t simply purchasing an advertisement during a football game. It is helping make it possible for local athletes, schools, families and communities to have quality coverage of their teams and accomplishments.
Over the years, our broadcasts and highlights have also helped athletes gain exposure beyond their hometowns. Not every high school athlete is going to be a Division I superstar—and they shouldn’t have to be. There are outstanding Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college opportunities available to students.
Sometimes simply having quality video available can help an athlete get noticed, continue playing the sport they love and potentially earn scholarship assistance that makes attending college more attainable.
We have also been incredibly fortunate to work alongside so many talented professional production personnel throughout the years. Their experience, dedication and expertise have helped elevate our broadcasts and made FastPlaySports unforgettable. At the same time, we are proud to have provided opportunities for individuals to learn, gain hands-on experience and develop their skills before moving on to further careers in the sports production industry.
That has always been one of the parts of FastPlaySports that has meant the most to us.
So yes, we are disappointed. We are disappointed for ourselves, for the athletes, for the schools and especially for the viewers who have supported us for so many years.
But we are not saying goodbye.
Although football coverage will not happen as we had hoped this fall, there is still a very real possibility that FastPlaySports could return for this year’s basketball season if we see enough renewed sponsorship and community interest in what we do.
We would love nothing more than to get our crews, cameras and announcers back into the gyms this winter.
If your business has sponsored FastPlaySports in the past, has considered becoming a sponsor, or simply believes that locally produced sports coverage is something worth preserving in our community, we would love to hear from you.
The level of interest and support we receive over the coming months will play a significant role in determining what comes next for FastPlaySports.
Our hope is that this isn’t the end of an era. Maybe it’s simply an opportunity to regroup, rebuild and find a sustainable way forward.
To every business that has sponsored us through the years, every coach and athletic department that has welcomed us, every athlete who has stepped in front of our cameras, every production professional who has contributed to our broadcasts, every person who has learned and grown through the opportunities FastPlaySports provided, and every viewer who has watched, shared or supported a FastPlaySports broadcast:
Thank you.
Thirteen-plus years of sports coverage doesn’t happen without you.
We sincerely hope there is another tipoff—and another kickoff—in our future.
— FastPlaySports
