St. Thomas’ Episcopal adopted Hudl’s fan tools, using their per­son­al­ized school profile to bring new revenue, increased access and a stronger community connection to the program.

Like most schools, St. Thomas’ Episcopal started using Hudl to help players and coaches grow their skills.

But with the release of Hudl’s tools for fans, the impact of Hudl spread from the playing fields of this small Houston school into the community.  

“I was ecstatic,” said Assistant Athletic Director Montario Jones. “It’s been a good process for me, seeing how we can implement all the features that we have.”

These features include livestreams, highlights, schedules, rosters and more, all available to Saints fans on their customized school profile. For Jones, it’s a simple way to share the high-quality video captured by Hudl with the community. “Most of [the audience] is parents, wanting to see the film, wanting to pass things on to the extended families,” he said. 

Of all the features that Hudl’s fan tools have brought, it’s the newest one that’s been the biggest hit.

"I was very happy when we had the chance to get [Hudl Tickets] and we didn't have to go through another system of setting something else up ... when we found out that Hudl had [ticketing], I was like, man, this is something that we could use and it gives us a one-stop shop type of situation." Montario Jones, Assistant Athletic Director, St. Thomas' Episcopal School

Gameday, Simplified

Hudl Tickets is St. Thomas’ Episcopal’s first experience with digital ticketing. They added it to their fan tools completely cost-free, partly to keep up with the modern consumer. “In this time frame of life, most people don’t carry money with them,” said Jones. “So they’re Cash App-ing or doing those types of things to pay for tickets.” 

Instead of having to scramble for cash or click through various payment apps, Hudl Tickets offers fans a simple purchasing process. Fans buy tickets on the school’s profile and receive them via email with a QR code. Then, they’ll scan the QR code on their phone at the gate for a frictionless entry. 

Jones has seen an instant improvement. “Once they buy the ticket, just that QR code and using the Scanner app, it runs smoothly,” he said. 

Digital ticketing has made gameday more efficient, and having it available through Hudl was a huge bonus. “I was very happy when we had the chance to get [Hudl Tickets] and we didn't have to go through another system of setting something else up, which can be a hassle sometimes when you're dealing with the different entities of your business office and everything else,” said Jones. 

“So when we found out that Hudl had [ticketing], I was like, man, this is something that we could use and it gives us a one-stop shop type of situation.”

An Instant Payoff

The one-stop shop aspect is a huge plus. So is the smoother gate experience. But Jones will tell you, hands-down, that the top benefit of Hudl Tickets is the revenue it brings to the program. 

Hudl Tickets is only used at St. Thomas’ Episcopal’s basketball games (it’s coming to volleyball games soon). Even with relatively limited usage, it’s brought nearly $3,000 in funds to the athletic department in under two months. 

Charging fans for admission is a new initiative for the Saints. While it’s taken some getting used to, Jones believes that it’s mutually beneficial for both fans and the school. 

“We're starting to realize that we're actually losing by not [charging for tickets],” he said. “We're trying to get [fans] to understand that it'll benefit them in the future because we're not nickel and diming you for little items that we may need. We can use the funds that we’re charging for ticketing to purchase the things for your kids that are needed. And we don't have to ask you every time that something pops up.”

Here’s an example: St. Thomas’ Episcopal holds an end-of-year athletic banquet to recap and celebrate their year in sports. Instead of soliciting donations for the event from the community, they can fund it themselves with ticketing revenue. 

"We're starting to realize that we're actually losing by not [charging for tickets]. We're trying to get [fans] to understand that it'll benefit them in the future because we're not nickel and diming you for little items that we may need. We can use the funds that we’re charging for ticketing to purchase the things for your kids that are needed. And we don't have to ask you every time that something pops up." Montario Jones

Creating Accessibility

The in-person experience is enhanced with the addition of digital ticketing. And for fans who can’t physically attend, the Saints livestream their games, allowing anyone to follow the action remotely. 

It’s become a valuable tool to keep faraway relatives connected. “For a certain amount, you watch your grandson, your nephew from across the world,” said Jones. 

Locals are also benefiting from it. “You can be in Houston and still be 45 minutes to an hour away and sometimes you miss some things,” he continued. “I could be in my car, be wherever I'm at, and still be able to see an individual play because we have streaming now.”

For fans who would rather catch snippets than an entire event, game and player highlights are easily accessible on the school’s profile. “The kids, they love highlights. They’re able to send those highlights out on Instagram, TikTok and whatever other platforms they use,” said Jones.

“It gives everybody a sense of pride, and for parents, that’s a real big deal. When their kids are thriving in something, they’re able to push it out to share with friends and coworkers.”

Looking Ahead

Adopting Hudl’s fan tools has been seamless at St. Thomas’ Episcopal. When asked how other schools can emulate their success, Jones offered a simple answer. “Do your homework to make sure it’s the right thing for your school,” he said. “Once you do that, it’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

"It gives everybody a sense of pride, and for parents, that’s a real big deal. When their kids are thriving in something, they’re able to push it out to share with friends and coworkers." Montario Jones

The next steps for the Saints include bringing Hudl Tickets to additional sports and creating widespread awareness of Hudl’s fan offerings. Jones sends weekly emails and plans to post QR codes at their facilities, driving users to the Hudl Fan app. 

Getting more fans on board will be key, but Jones doesn’t think it’ll be a tough sell. “Because of where we’re going with video these days, it makes more sense to have a one-stop shop. It breaks down the videos for you, you got your ticketing, you got your fan experience, all those things in one,” he said. “I’ve been happy with it since.”       

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