How to display a scoreboard on a TV

Displaying a scoreboard on a TV is a great way to keep participants engaged and informed during a sporting event or contest. In this article, we will go over the different ways to display a scoreboard on a TV, including the necessary hardware and software.

A basketball scoreboard from Keepthescore.com

What you'll need

You will need one computer with a browser to control the scoreboard.

You'll also need a TV. This TV must either be connected to:

• a laptop or computer. This can be the same computer as the one controlling the scoreboard, or a different computer. OR
• a streaming device such as Chromecast or Apple TV

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.

Option 1: One computer and two displays

Use one computer for controlling and displaying the scoreboard. This means that you need 2 displays connected to the computer. One display will show the control panel, the other display will show the "display" scoreboard. Each will be running in their own browser windows.

So you need to show 2 browser windows on 2 different displays. How this is setup will depend on your operating system and is beyond the scope of this article, but here is a good guide to get you started.

Option 2: Two computers and two displays

The second option is to use a second laptop or computer to show the "display" scoreboard, and connect it to the TV via and HDMI cable. The second computer needs to show a browser which has the "display" scoreboard link opened.

Option 3: One computer and a streaming dongle

If you decide to use a streaming device such as Chromecast (pictured above) or Apple TV, you will need to attach the device to your TV and connect it to your Wi-Fi network.

Once connected, you can use your primary computer to stream the scoreboard to the TV. You can do this by only streaming the browser window that is showing the "display" scoreboard. Refer to your Chromecast or Apple TV documentation for how to do this.

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 soccer scoreboard from Keepthescore.com

Using Keepthescore.com

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 are going to be using Keepthescore.com, which is one of the leading solutions for creating online scoreboards for sports like basketball, football, wrestling and cricket. You can literally be up and running in under 30 seconds, no registration nor payment required.

Controlling a scoreboard from a mobile phone using a scoreboard app

How to create the scoreboard

Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Click on the button above and choose the scoreboard you need.
2. 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.
3. In the control panel, scroll down to the SETUP panel. Here you should change the layout to "Scoreboard layout". This will make your scoreboard fit onto a TV screen.
4. Get the "display" link for your scoreboard by clicking on "Open Display Scoreboard" (at the top).
5. Depending on which option you chose above, open this "display" link in a new browser window.
6. Double-click on it to open it in full-screen mode
7. You're done 🍹

💡 Do you need a leaderboard?

Keepthescore.com also offers leaderboards which are also well-suited for being shown on a TV. Go to this page to create a leaderboard.