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Running a League Is Hard. The Tech Shouldn't Be.

Techiebutler is the digital backbone of America's largest junior ice hockey league.
Running thousands of games yearly across the US and Canada, with one of the most engaged fan bases in the sport.

But before Techiebutler, the digital experience didn't actually match their scale.

  • Live streaming instability
  • Inconsistent game tagging
  • Poor discoverability
  • Checkout friction
Concurrent viewers climbing to 100K, then dropping to zero when the server crashed mid-broadcast

What Techiebutler Optimised First

Techiebutler did not start with a full platform rebuild. Instead, the first focus was game tagging.

A live game frame with players, teams and the puck marked up by the tagging system

This structured data became the foundation for

  • Highlights
  • Statistics
  • Broadcast Outputs
  • Analytics

Once consistency and reliability were proven, the league expanded the scope.

Tagging Operations at Scale

40,000+

Games tagged per year

18 Hours

Turnaround time per game

700+

Operators

Multi-layer QA

Before data entered downstream systems

A scalable operational backbone capable of supporting league-wide live coverage with consistent data quality.

For the first time, the league had centralised visibility into its own tagging operations.

The Sports Operations Platform (OpsFlow) at the centre of live assignments, operational visibility, QA checkpoints, delivery tracking and workflow status

Live Streaming Infrastructure

Built specifically for the realities of junior hockey broadcasting.

Multiple games streamed simultaneously

The same play could be tagged differently by different operators, or not logged at all during peak pressure.

Real-time monitoring during broadcasts

Live tracking and instant alerts keep every broadcast running at its best.

Operational support throughout live events

Dedicated support teams ensure smooth execution from pre-game to final whistle.

30+ Live

Broadcasts everyday during season

~12k+

Hours of live coverage streamed each session

Subscription & Payments

The subscription experience was rebuilt from checkout to renewal.

What Was Improved

  • Seamless checkout flows
  • Recurring billing systems
  • Revenue reporting
  • Reduced payment friction

LLM-Powered Search

A smarter discovery experience designed for sports audiences.

Search for 'michigan goals last night' returning intent-aware search results, smarter filtering and real-time suggestions

Fans could quickly discover live games, highlights, players, and important moments without friction.

Interactive Viewing & Fan Engagement

Streaming was transformed from passive viewing into an interactive fan experience.

Synchronised viewing
Synchronised viewing
Community tools
Community tools
Interactive live experiences
Interactive live experiences
Shared viewing
Shared viewing

Fans experienced games in a way that felt closer to being inside the arena together.

Why everything worked out for us

The league already had passionate fans. We built the platform they deserved.

The League — fans, teams, community, passion — overlapping The Platform — streaming, discovery, analytics, engagement — for a better fan experience: no missed games with reliable broadcasts every time, easy to find what matters across games, players and highlights, and easy to subscribe simply and securely

Executive Takeaway

Most organisations try to scale demand before their systems can handle it. We did the opposite.

The Process

  • Started with the invisible layer → tagging
  • Built reliable operational systems through Opsflow
  • Established scalable streaming infrastructure
  • Added monetization systems
  • Expanded discovery and engagement

See the Platform

...where live content, operational reliability, and revenue need to work together. We'll walk you through exactly what was built and how it operates at scale.

Book a Walkthrough

If you are running

  • A sports league
  • A streaming platform
  • A live content operation
  • A data-heavy broadcast system