What Is CoverItLive, How Does It Work?

CoverItLive is a great feature that Patch offers to readers who can't get to events they wish they could attend.

Can't go? Have to work? Traveling out of town? Live in another state? No problem; Patch will cover it live for you.

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This week, Medfield was in the Division 2 semi-final game ... against defending state champion Reading ... in Boston at the TD Garden ... on a school night -- that presented a problem for many family, friends and community members who wanted to attend but could not.

So Patch went for them.

What Do I Do?

With CoverItLive, folks log onto Patch, click on the story related to their game, and follow the link to CoverItLive coverage (see above).

Editor's Note: There is also a CoverItLive App for mobile devices. Be sure to download it before the game begins.

About 15 minutes before the game's start-time, an editor -- in this case Andy Sylvia -- starts the conversation with entries that set the scene, introduce the players, describe the spectators, etc.

At game time, he announces the National Anthem, and the games begin. 

Soon, the editor is making fast-paced "mini-tweet-like" entries that describe the plays, complete with player names and numbers, interesting team stats, audience participation, action at time-outs, coach remarks, ref calls, instant score updates on the scoreboard banner streaming at the bottom of the screen, and constant time updates.

 Sometimes, if there's a bit of a break, he'll even upload a photo from the game, too -- if time allows.

Click here to see the transcript of the Medfield vs Reading game.

Sense of Community

Patch readers seem to like CoverItLive. They become engaged in the live stream and make it a real community event.

In the case of the Medfield/Reading game, Sylvia was blogging updates while Patch readers were adding comments to the live stream at the same time -- a type of conversation, some good old-fashioned 'cheering' was going on on-line.

The semi-final game was a challenging one for Medfield because their opponent was the defending state champion on a 48-game winning streak.

Fans from both towns were (respectfully) cheering on their home team with shout-outs to specific players, while expressing their own angst at the close score.

All the while, Sylvia was blogging about the game and answering readers' questions -- score, time remaining, crowd response, team stats -- without missing a play (or making a typo) at a rate of three to four updates a minute.

"When it comes to [CoverItLive], I think it's good to remember that they're not purely an accounting of what's happening, but a conversation with the telling of that event at the center of the experience," Sylvia said.

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But How Does He Do It?

Short answer: On a laptop.

One guy, sitting in the stands or the press box or the game floor -- it depends on the venue and the sport (Patch covers many sports games with CoverItLive) -- with his Patch computer (see photo).

"The Boston Garden game was optimal because I was right on the floor feet away, there was a jumbotron providing a different angle which was nice, and there was plenty of crowd noise which helped make everything more exciting," Sylvia said after the semifinal game which brought thanks and praise for his "fabulous" coverage.

But one guy, "on" for almost two hours, can be a challenge.

"It can be tiring during the really busy and exciting ones, but those are the fun ones because you know that what you're doing is being enjoyed," he says. "The Medfield fans were great, as were the Reading fans. It's always fun having such passionate fans as guests."

Digital is Forever

Another great benefit of this type of Patch coverage is that, if you step away from the game for any reason or any amount of time, you can quickly catch up by scrolling through the blog entries.

And CoverItLive has staying power in that you can "relive" the game (the play by play, the comments) whenever you want for as long as you want (remember, digital is forever). This is great for friends and family who couldn't attend the game, or anyone, particularly players, who want to remember the game long after that final buzzer.

What's Next?

Join us on CoverItLive and see what it's all about! If you have any questions, post them in the comment box below.

Go Warriors!