Blog > 11 January, 2023

How to display a scoreboard on a TV

Everything you need to know about showing a scoreboard on a TV, including the recommended hardware and software

Contents

Displaying a scoreboard on a TV is a great way to keep participants engaged and informed during a contest or event. Whether it's a sports match, a gaming tournament, a corporate competition or a classroom activity, a TV scoreboard can help create a sense of excitement and competition. In this article, we will go over the different ways to display a scoreboard on a TV, including the necessary hardware and software.

A TV showing an online scoreboard

What you'll need

The first step is to choose the right hardware. The 2 most common options are:

  • using a streaming device such as Chromecast or Apple TV or
  • connecting a laptop or computer to the TV via HDMI.

Each of these options has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to choose the one that best fits your needs and budget.

A Chromecast from Google

If you decide to use a streaming device such as Chromecast (pictured above) or Apple TV, you will need to install the device on your TV and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Once connected, you can use your smartphone or tablet to stream the scoreboard to the TV. This option is great for those who want to display the scoreboard on a TV in a public space, such as a sports bar or corporate lobby. Basically any situation where the TV is hard to reach and it is impractical to run an extra cable to it.

A sports scoreboard being shown on a large TV that is attached to the outside of a building.

Another option is to connect a laptop or computer to the TV via HDMI. This can be done by connecting an HDMI cable from the laptop or computer to the TV's HDMI port. This option is great for those who want to display the scoreboard on a TV in a more private space, such as a conference room or a training room.

Once you have chosen the right hardware, it's time to choose a software for running the scoreboard

Which scoreboard software?

These days, instead of downloading and installing a software package, a common solution is to use web-based software. This works wherever you have a working internet connection and doesn't require any installing.

We recommend Keepthescore.com, which is one of the leading solutions for creating online scoreboards. But don't take our word for it, our customers have this to say:

"Wow guys, what a great app, thank you for all your work to get it up and running, I'm using it to stream my son's rugby games in South Africa!" — Lance

We pride ourselves on being very easy to get started with. You can literally be up and running in under 30 seconds, no registration nor payment required. If you don't believe us, give it a try.

What's very convenient is that you can control your scoreboard from anywhere, including a mobile phone. Read on for more details.

Controlling a scoreboard from a mobile phone using a scoreboard app

How to create the scoreboard

There are 2 basic scoreboard types that you can choose from on Keepthescore.com:

  • A live scoreboard for sports. Use this if you want to show the current score to the spectators.
  • A leaderboards for some activity.

Here are the steps you need to take:

  1. Create your scoreboard. Go to this page to create a sports scoreboard or here if you want to create a leaderboard.
  2. Click on "Start here" and then follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Congrats, you've now created a new scoreboard and are on the "control panel". You have the option to carry out some customizations, such as choosing team names and choosing custom colors.
  4. Get the public link by clicking on PUBLISH or SHOW SCOREBOARD (depending on the type you chose)
  5. Open this link on the device that is connected to the TV.
  6. You're done 🍹

How much does the scoreboard cost?

The basic scoreboard is free, and you can start using it right away.

Some extra features, such as setting team logos, cost money. You can read more about that on our pricing page.

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