Overview
Starting and stopping streams is how you control when your live broadcast is active and when charges are incurred. You must manually start a stream from the Stream View page (or use bulk actions to start multiple streams), and you must manually stop the stream when finished. Charges begin as soon as you click "Yes, start stream" and continue until you stop the stream. Simply closing your browser does not stop the stream or billing.
Prerequisites
* An input must be assigned to the stream before it can be started
* The stream must be fully configured with at least one destination
* You must have sufficient Stream and Highlights hours available in your balance
How to Start a Single Stream
1. Navigate to the Matches section
2. Find the match containing the stream you want to start
3. Click the arrow to expand the match view
4. Access View from the stream's Action Menu on the right-hand side OR click the white space of a stream row to open the side control panel, then access View from there
5. A separate tab opens showing the Stream View page
6. Click Start Stream in the top right corner
7. A confirmation notification appears: "Are you sure you want to start streaming?"
8. Click Yes, start stream
9. A notification appears in the preview window: "Stream is starting" with a progress bar
10. Once the preview shows LIVE, the stream is active
Important: As soon as you click "Yes, start stream" you begin incurring charges for streaming and highlight services. Charges continue until you stop the stream.
How to Start Multiple Streams (Bulk Action)
1. Navigate to the Matches section
2. Find the match containing the streams you want to start
3. Click the arrow to expand the match view
4. Select the checkboxes on the left side of the screen for each stream you want to start
5. Click the Start Stream bulk action button located at the top of the screen
All selected streams will begin starting simultaneously.
Stream Starting States
A stream typically takes 2–3 minutes to initialize.
During startup:
* The stream indicator remains yellow
* A red progress bar appears below the video player in Stream View
* The preview may display a loading state
This is normal while the system initializes the stream and connects destinations.
If Stream is Stuck on "Starting"
If the stream remains in the yellow "starting" state for longer than 10 minutes, it is likely stuck.
Important: A stream cannot be manually stopped while it is still in the starting state. The Start/Stop button only becomes available once the stream is fully live or fully off.
If the stream appears stuck:
1. Allow at least 2–3 minutes for normal initialization
2. If it remains yellow beyond approximately 10 minutes, create a new stream for the match
3. Start the new stream and confirm it initializes correctly
Creating a new stream resolves most rare initialization issues. If multiple attempts fail, contact LIGR Support for investigation.
How to Stop a Stream
1. From the Stream View page, click the Stop button in the top right of the screen
2. Select Yes, stop stream in the confirmation dialog
3. Once confirmed, you stop incurring charges for streaming and highlights
Critical: You MUST manually stop the stream or use automation to stop it. Simply closing the browser tab does not stop the stream or billing. Charges continue until you explicitly stop the stream.
Common Issues
Stream won't start
* Verify an input is assigned to the stream (streams cannot start without input assignment)
* Check that input source (camera/encoder) is connected and active
* Verify stream destination is properly configured in Assets
* Confirm you have sufficient Stream and Highlights hours available. Your remaining balance is visible in the top-right corner of the Matches page or in the Billing section
Still being charged after match
* Confirm you clicked Stop Stream and received confirmation
* Check Multiview to verify stream is not still active
* Stopping the stream is required - closing browser tabs doesn't stop billing
* Use automation to ensure streams stop automatically if you forget