Pre-Game Playlists in LIGR Live let you automatically run a sequence of graphics before a match kicks off (countdown timers, team lineups, match previews, sponsor graphics) so your broadcast opens with a polished, professional feel.
This guide walks you through configuring a Pre-Game Playlist inside an Automated Game Plan, and explains how Pre-Game fits alongside Live gameplay and Post-Game sections.
Before You Start
Make sure you have the following ready:
• Access to an Organisation with Automated Game Plans enabled
• A Competition with a Theme Instance assigned at the overlay level (Competition > Settings > Streams and Overlays > Overlay Settings)
• A Game Plan tied to that Competition overlay, with a Pre-Game section available
• The graphics you want to use, available in the Theme Instance assigned to the Competition
• Any sponsor content configured for the advertising system your theme uses:
• For organisations using inbuilt themes: Ad Sets allocated to the Competition, Club, or Team
• For organisations using Rive themes: ads configured directly in the playlist
How Game Plans and Playlists Fit Together
An Automated Game Plan is made up of three broad sections:
• Pre-Game: runs before the match officially starts
• Live gameplay: runs from kick-off to the final whistle, including event-triggered playlists
• Post-Game: runs after full time
Each section contains one or more Playlists. A Playlist is an ordered group of graphics that plays as a unit. Playlists can be time-based (Pre-Game, Post-Game) or event-triggered (Live gameplay).
Event-triggered playlists fire on Match Facts, including:
• Goals
• Yellow and red cards
• Substitutions
• Period changes (kick-off, half-time, full-time, period starts and ends)
Priority
Every playlist within a Game Plan has a priority value. Priority decides which playlist takes precedence when more than one could fire at a similar time. When two playlists share the same priority, the one that was built first fires.
Set Pre-Game playlists with a priority that reflects their importance relative to any manual or sponsor content you also want available during the pre-match window.
What a Pre-Game Playlist Does
A Pre-Game Playlist is an automated sequence of graphics that plays before the match officially starts. It runs in order, based on timing rules you configure, and stops once the match moves into Live gameplay.
Typical graphics used in a Pre-Game Playlist include:
• Countdown timer to kick-off
• Home and away team lineups
• Match preview or head-to-head stats
• Sponsor graphics or ads
• Venue or competition branding
[ Image placeholder: Game Plan editor showing the Pre-Game section selected with an empty playlist ready to be configured ]
Step-by-Step: Configure a Pre-Game Playlist
Step 1: Open the Game Plan
1. Go to your Organisation and open the Automation area.
2. Select the Game Plan you want to edit, or create a new one tied to your Competition overlay.
3. Open the Pre-Game section of the Game Plan.
Step 2: Add Graphics to the Playlist
1. In the Pre-Game section, add a new playlist entry.
2. Choose the graphic you want to play first (for example, a countdown or opening title).
3. Repeat to add each graphic in the order you want them shown.
[ Image placeholder: Pre-Game playlist with multiple graphics added in sequence, showing countdown, lineups, sponsor, and preview ]
Step 3: Set Timing for Each Graphic
For each graphic in the playlist, configure:
• Start time: when the graphic should appear (for example, 10 minutes before kick-off)
• Duration: how long it stays on screen
• Order: its position in the sequence
Use timing to stagger graphics so they don't overlap. For example, show lineups early, then a preview, then a countdown closer to kick-off.
Step 4: Add Sponsor Content (Optional)
If you want sponsor content in your pre-game flow:
• For organisations using inbuilt themes: confirm the Ad Set is allocated to this Competition, Club, or Team. Rotation is handled by the system.
• For organisations using Rive themes: add the ad entries directly into the Pre-Game Playlist, positioned between content graphics.
Step 5: Guard Against Missing Player Data
Lineups, team sheets, and any graphics that depend on player information only look right when the match data is complete. Before the playlist goes live, add guards by:
• Confirming both Teams are assigned to the Match
• Confirming players are attached to each Team and to the Match squad
• Removing or reordering player-dependent graphics in the Pre-Game Playlist for matches where squad data is not expected to be available in time
Without these guards, lineup-style graphics can appear empty or with missing slots.
Step 6: Set Playlist Priority
Review the priority of the Pre-Game Playlist relative to any other playlists in the Game Plan. Remember that where two playlists share the same priority, the one built first fires.
Step 7: Preview and Save
1. Use the preview option to check the playlist runs in the intended order.
2. Adjust timing or ordering if graphics feel rushed or overlap.
3. Save the Game Plan.
Tips
• Build your Pre-Game Playlist to fill the full window before kick-off, not just the final minute.
• Place your countdown graphic last so it transitions cleanly into Live gameplay.
• For lineup-style graphics, confirm player data is in place so names and numbers populate automatically.
• If a Competition has multiple overlays (for example, a media stream overlay and a scoreboard-only overlay), each overlay has its own Theme Instance and Game Plan. Check the Pre-Game behaviour is configured on each one you plan to use.
• Test the playlist on a dummy Match before using it on a real broadcast.
Common Issues
Graphics play in the wrong order Check the Order value for each graphic in the playlist. Entries with the same timing or priority may run in an unpredictable sequence (first built, first fired).
Lineup graphics show empty or missing players Confirm the Match has Teams assigned and that players are attached to each Team. Lineup graphics pull directly from Match data, so guard the playlist when squad data may not be available.
Pre-Game Playlist doesn't start Make sure the Match is in the correct pre-match state, the Game Plan is assigned to the Competition overlay, and the Theme Instance for that overlay is set correctly.
Sponsor graphics not appearing For inbuilt themes, verify your Ad Set allocation covers this Competition, Club, or Team, and that creatives match the expected slot dimensions. For Rive themes, confirm the ad entries are present in the Pre-Game Playlist and have valid assets.
Countdown ends but the graphic stays on screen Check the Duration on the countdown graphic and confirm the kick-off event is received, which moves the Game Plan into the Live gameplay section.
Event-triggered playlist fires at the wrong moment Check the priority of competing playlists in the Game Plan. If priorities are equal, remember the first built wins, so rebuilding or reordering playlists may be needed to get the result you want.