Beginning this fall, HighSchoolOT will be expanding its coverage to include more than three-quarters of the state.
HighSchoolOT and Capitol Broadcasting Company announced on Monday that its coverage of high school sports will expand to the Triad and Charlotte markets this fall. It is the largest single expansion for HighSchoolOT since it launched in August 2008.
“We know from our analytics, survey data and anecdotes that the HighSchoolOT brand is strong and reaches beyond Central and Eastern North Carolina,” said John Conway, general manager for new media with Capitol Broadcasting Company. “As other media companies pull back on high school sports coverage, we see an opportunity to expand ours.”
HighSchoolOT has been covering high school sports in central and eastern North Carolina since 2008. It launched as a standalone website covering Triangle area sports, then later expanded to include parts of eastern North Carolina and Sandhills. Two years ago, HighSchoolOT expanded its area to include all of eastern North Carolina, including coastal areas.
The new coverage area will feature 77 of North Carolina’s 100 counties and more than 400 high schools. HighSchoolOT is in the process of hiring new staff members in western parts of the coverage area.
“High school sports are incredibly important for the communities in our state and we enjoy telling the stories of the players, coaches, and teams,” said Nick Stevens, managing editor of HighSchoolOT. “Expanding our coverage to the Triad and Charlotte markets means we will be able to provide a more complete picture of high school sports in our state.”
While there will be new staff members in the west, HighSchoolOT’s staff based in Raleigh will also travel west to build its coverage.
“We think there is an opportunity to provide a service in markets outside of the ones we’re already in. That doesn’t mean things will change for those schools used to our coverage in central and eastern North Carolina though. Our staff here has grown and is strong, so the same commitment to covering those schools will continue,” Stevens said.
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Schools in the west can expect game coverage with stories, video highlights, interviews, and photo galleries. Feature stories, recruiting news, breaking news, and other content will also expand to western areas.
Already this summer, HighSchoolOT has begun covering 7-on-7 events that include western teams. HighSchoolOT has also covered state championship events that involve teams from outside its current coverage area throughout the 2018-2019 school year.
Fans of western high schools can download the free HighSchoolOT app to keep up-to-date on high school sports news, including scores, videos highlights, and stories. Content on the app and on the website will include all sports, not just football.
Be sure to follow HighSchoolOT on social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also sign up to receive the free weekly email newsletter from HighSchoolOT.
“Our staff is really looking forward to getting out and meeting the players and coaches, and getting to know the schools and communities in the western part of the state,” Stevens said. “We look forward to seeing you at 7-on-7s, scrimmages, and games in all sports soon.”
Due to expansion, regular visitors of HIghSchoolOT will notice some changes. Already, the schools menu has been replaced by a search bar where you can type in the name of the school. This will make it easier to navigate to school pages. You will notice other changes over the course of the summer.
**Stay tuned to Capcom for news and photos from the recent HSOT Honors celebration.
Thanks to HighSchoolOT.com for this capcom story & graphic.
