Padel is a good sport to stream. Points are long, the ball stays in play off the walls and the court is small enough to show on one camera. The same walls cause problems: glass reflects light, mesh blocks the view and the best camera spot is often above head height.
If you stream pickleball too, read the pickleball streaming guide. The camera and scoring sections here differ because the courts differ.
Equipment and setup
Camera selection
Choose a camera with a wide field of view. On a padel court the camera is close to the back wall, so a lens that is not wide enough cuts off the corners. Many phones have an ultra-wide lens that does this. For a dedicated camera, check the lens width and choose one with a clean HDMI output. A fixed camera that stays on all day suits a venue that streams every week.
Mounting solutions
The camera must be high, steady and out of play. Common positions are a clamp or arm on the structure above the back glass, a wall bracket behind the glass or a pole with a clamp. Ask the venue before you fix anything to the court frame. Keep the mount away from the entrance door and from where balls leave the court.
Streaming software
OBS Studio is free and works on Windows, macOS and Linux. It lets you mix audio and record a backup. Phone apps such as Larix Broadcaster or Moblin send video straight to your NextArena stream, which works when you do not need graphics.
Microphones
Padel is loud inside the glass. Ball hits on glass and metal carry. A microphone placed outside the glass picks up a softer version of the sound. Test where it sounds best. If you have a commentator, use a headset microphone and keep the commentary separate from the court sound in OBS.
Network requirements
Use Ethernet where you can. A 1080p stream at about 4,500 kbps needs about 9 Mbps of stable upload. If courts are far from the router, run a cable or use a wireless bridge. Test upload speed at the court. Plan a backup, such as a phone hotspot.
Padel camera placement
Mount the camera high behind one back wall on the centre line. From there you see the whole court, both side walls and the rebounds. Players hit the ball off the back wall, so a camera at the far end must see the wall as well as the floor.
Show the whole court
A padel point can leave the floor and return from the glass. If the frame cuts the back wall, viewers lose the ball. Check that you see both back walls, or at least the near wall's rebound area, and the side walls to the height of a lob.
Reduce reflections
- Move the lens as close to the glass as possible and push it flat against a rubber hood.
- Cover the gap with a dark cloth or matte card. Do not touch the glass in a way that marks it.
- Turn off or shield lights that sit behind the camera.
- Test in the real lighting. Floodlights at night reflect differently from daylight.
- Clean the glass in front of the lens before the event.
Enclosure and mesh
If the camera looks through mesh, a thin dark mesh near the lens often disappears when the lens is close. A wide mesh far from the lens shows as a pattern. Move the camera until the mesh is not visible, or choose a position above the mesh line.
Using OBS Studio
Connect a camera
Connect the camera to the laptop through an HDMI capture device or USB. In OBS, add a Video Capture Device source and select it. Resize the source to fill the canvas. Add an Audio Input Capture source for the microphone.
Configure the streaming destination
Start a stream in your NextArena event dashboard. Copy the RTMP address and stream key from the stream page. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, choose Custom, and paste both values. On a phone, enter the same values in Larix Broadcaster or Moblin. Viewers watch on your event page, with no separate video account. A general platform such as YouTube Live uses the same steps, but its stream is hard for viewers to find and is not linked to your tournament page. NextArena shows the stream on your public tournament page.
Set the broadcast layout
Use one scene for the live court and a second scene with a "Starting soon" image. Add your logo as a source in the live scene if you want it on screen.
Test the output
- Set resolution to 1920×1080 at 30 frames per second.
- Set the video bitrate near 4,500 kbps and the keyframe interval to 2 seconds.
- Start a test stream and open the event page on a second device.
- Watch it on a separate device. Check picture, sound and delay.
- Check the dropped-frames number in OBS. Stop and fix the network if it rises.
Live padel scoreboard overlays
Padel scoring has points, games and sets. A good live scoreboard shows them without clutter.
- Player or team names. Show both pairs. Use short, clear names.
- Current game. Show the points in the game being played.
- Games and sets. Show the sets already won and the games in the current set.
- Match status. Show the court and round, so viewers know which match they watch.
- Tournament branding. Keep the tournament name, venue branding and sponsor logos on the same page as the video.
Court video
Streaming several courts
A featured-court broadcast uses one camera and one stream. You choose the match that matters and switch courts between rounds. It is simple and gives viewers one place to watch. Its limit is that other matches have no coverage.
Separate feeds per courtgive every pair a stream. Each court needs a camera, an encoder and a stable upload. Four courts at 4,500 kbps need about 18 Mbps before any margin. Label each feed with the court and the round so players' families find the right link.
A middle option is to stream the main court live and record the others for replay. NextArena can create a separate stream for each court and show one as the official stream on the event page. See padel live streaming with NextArena.
Tournament operations
A stream looks bad when it disagrees with the tournament. The viewer sees Court 2, the draw says Court 3 and the score is a game behind. Keep four things in step:
- Court assignments. Name courts the same way in the draw, on signs and in the stream titles.
- Scoring. Use one source of truth for the score. Do not let the streamer keep a second tally.
- Match schedules. Update the stream title or description when a match moves court or start time.
- Streaming. Assign one person to each camera, with a handover plan for breaks.
NextArena keeps the schedule, court assignments and scores in one tournament, and the stream sits on the same event page. That reduces the number of places to update. It does not replace a streamer who checks the camera.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I put the camera on a padel court?
Mount it high behind one back wall, centred on the court, with the lens close to the glass. The height lets the viewer see the full depth of the court and the rebounds off the walls.
How do I stop glass reflections?
Put the lens close to the glass, use a rubber lens hood or a dark cloth around the lens, and avoid bright lights behind the camera. Test at the time of day you will play, because sunlight and floodlights change the reflections.
Can a phone stream padel?
Yes, if you can mount it securely and power it. A phone with a wide lens clamped high behind the glass works for a small event. Keep a cable and power bank ready.
What should a padel scoreboard show?
Team names, the current game score, games in the current set, completed set scores and the match status. Tournament branding and sponsor logos can sit on the page around the video.
Is one camera enough for a padel tournament?
For one featured court, yes. A second camera on the side gives replays and variety on finals. Streaming several courts needs one camera and one encoder per court.
Does NextArena show scores with padel streams?
Yes. The public event page shows a live score bar under the stream with both team names, the current score and the games so far. It updates as the scorer enters points.