Background
Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team competing in the ECHL, with a loyal regional fan base and growing digital audience. At the center of their broadcast experience is Rudy Hodgson, the team’s play-by-play announcer.
For Rudy, the job goes far beyond calling goals and penalties.
Rudy sees his role as more than simply calling the action on the ice. It’s about storytelling, educating fans, and helping grow the game in non-traditional hockey markets.
Success, in his words, isn’t measured purely in revenue.
Instead, it’s about:
- Growing audience across platforms
- Making hockey accessible to new and younger audiences
- Educating fans on the “X’s and O’s” of the sport
- Creating entry points for families who might not otherwise engage with hockey
And above all – keeping the sport accessible.
The Challenge
Like many sports organizations, the Cyclones operate in a media landscape where streaming costs continue to rise. While subscription models have become common across sports broadcasting, they can also create barriers for new and casual fans.
For Rudy and the Cyclones organization, maintaining accessibility was essential. If following the team becomes too expensive or complicated, it becomes harder to grow the fan base – particularly among younger audiences and families.
The team needed:
- A free and frictionless way for fans to experience the games
- A solution that worked for home and road games
- A portable setup that could travel
- The ability to monetize via sponsorship without putting the stream behind a paywall
- A platform that felt simple and reliable
Accessibility wasn’t a feature. It was the mission.
The Solution
The Cyclones run their live audio broadcast on Mixlr – a free, mobile-friendly stream that allows fans to tune in instantly from anywhere.
Listeners can simply open their phone and connect to the broadcast, making it easy for fans to follow the game whether they’re at home, on the move, or inside the arena.
Behind the scenes, the Cyclones’ audio feed runs from a Yamaha soundboard and is routed simultaneously to both the video broadcast provider and Mixlr. This setup creates a streamlined workflow that works seamlessly for both home and away games.
Most importantly, it ensures the broadcast remains open and accessible to everyone.
Seamless Implementation & Key Features
Rolling out the Cyclones Radio Network on Mixlr was straightforward. The broadcast integrates directly with the team’s existing audio setup, allowing the play-by-play feed from the Yamaha soundboard to be routed seamlessly into the live stream.
Once live, the team made sure fans knew exactly where to listen. The Cyclones Radio Network is promoted across multiple touchpoints, including:
- Game-day graphics
- Press releases
- The team website
- Social media
This consistent promotion ensures fans always know they have a simple listening option – with no logins, subscriptions, or barriers to access.
Professional Setup, Simplified
The Cyclones use a professional broadcast configuration:
- Yamaha soundboard integration
- Simultaneous routing to video and audio streams
- Portable road-game setup
- Stadium concourse feed integration
Despite the professional-grade production, the system remains super easy to manage.
Key Features Include
- Live Broadcasting – Real-time play-by-play from every game
- Playlist Functionality – Organized insertion of commercials, interviews, intros, and outros
- Monetization Without Paywalls – Works instantly on mobile devices
- – Works instantly on mobile devices
- In-Stadium Audio Integration – Concourse feed for live arena experience
The playlist feature in particular allows Rudy to organize commercial breaks, interviews, and intermission segments cleanly – and upcoming multi-playlist functionality will make that even more streamlined.
Game-Changing Impact
For the Cyclones, the value of the Cyclones Radio Network goes far beyond simply broadcasting the game.
The free audio stream ensures that fans always have an easy way to stay connected to the team – whether they’re longtime supporters or discovering hockey for the first time.
For Rudy, one of the most meaningful impacts is the ability to help the sport reach non-traditional hockey markets. The Cyclones recently hosted their first-ever Hispanic Heritage Night, reflecting a broader effort to welcome new communities into the game and expand the team’s reach.
It’s about welcoming new audiences into hockey, helping first-time listeners understand the game, and creating lifelong fans.
Most importantly, it ensures that no one is excluded from following the team because of cost or complexity.
Conclusion: Why Mixlr?
For the Cincinnati Cyclones, audio isn’t just an add-on.
It’s a gateway.
By keeping their broadcast free, simple, and accessible, they are building something bigger than a stream – they’re building long-term fandom.
And as streaming costs across the sports industry continue to rise, their commitment to accessibility stands out.
Because when the goal is growing the game, access comes first.