BOONE, Iowa — On Tuesday, the Iowa High School Sports Network (IHSSN) announced that they would start charging people to stream boys state championship games as soon as next month.
The network owns the media rights to provide coverage of prep sports to people. But to live stream games, you’ll now have to pay $9.99 for a single game or match and $18.99 for a full tournament pass.
In response to the model, Tom Keating and the Iowa High School Athletic Association filed a petition in Polk County District Court on Wednesday to get rid of the network’s new live stream fees, but they await a final decision on the case.
“We’re against it," Keating, the executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, said. "Yeah, let’s be clear about that. We don’t think that fans should be charged to watch our events.”
On Wednesday, IHSSN issued a statement in response to the recent lawsuit, writing in part, "We strongly disagree with the merits of this lawsuit and plan to file a response to the claims made once we have had time to fully review the document."
The network plans to start charging people to live stream state tournament games in July for the state baseball tournament, and some parents aren't liking the new model.
“You already pay fees to be on the team," said Adam Lueder, a parent of an East High School baseball player. "For uniforms, for fundraising, to get into the games, you shouldn’t have to pay… I believe it’s $9.99 to watch one. That’s more than it costs to get into the game."
Lueder and Keating both say the streaming fees will make it tough for relatives who are out of town or out of state to watch games.
“For some of the older folks, it’s just more convenient in those situations to be able to watch the game," Lueder explained. "And they shouldn’t be penalized for that.”
It is worth noting that you can still watch boys high school state tournament events that are broadcasted on cable and satellite networks for free like usual. But if you want to live stream a boys high school state tournament game in Iowa, you'll have to adhere to the network's streaming fees model.