What Is NeST? Your Scoreboard's Connection to Everything

Every ScoreBird integration starts with one device: NeST. It's the bridge between your scoreboard and everywhere you want live scoring data to go.

The Short Version

NeST is a small hardware device that connects to your existing scoreboard controller. It reads live scoring data — score, clock, period, team names — and sends it to the ScoreBird platform in real-time. From there, that data powers everything: broadcast overlays, virtual scoreboards on your website, automatic score reporting, and more.

Why NeST Exists

Schools and athletic departments already have scoreboard controllers in their gyms and stadiums. That controller already knows the score, the time, the period — everything. But that data is trapped inside the controller, only visible on the physical scoreboard.

NeST unlocks that data. Instead of someone manually entering scores into a website, a streaming overlay, or a social media post, NeST reads it directly from the source and distributes it everywhere automatically.

How It Works

1. Plug in — NeST connects to your scoreboard controller's data output
2. Auto-detect — NeST identifies your controller model and protocol
3. Stream — Live scoring data flows to the ScoreBird cloud platform
4. Distribute — ScoreBird sends that data to every channel you've configured

The entire setup takes minutes, not hours. And because NeST reads data from the controller, it works with your existing scoreboard hardware. No replacement needed.

Watch: NeST Setup

What Data Does NeST Capture?

NeST reads everything your scoreboard controller outputs:

• Score — home and away, updated in real-time
• Clock — game time, shot clock, play clock
• Period — quarter, half, inning, set, or period
• Team info — names, abbreviations, colors
• Sport-specific data — downs and distance, timeouts, possession, fouls, and more

The exact data available depends on your controller and sport, but NeST captures everything the controller sends.

Where Does the Data Go?

Once NeST is connected, you choose where the data appears:

• Broadcast overlays — live score graphics on your livestream via OBS, vMix, or any streaming platform
• Virtual scoreboards — embeddable live scoreboards on your website
• Scheduling tools — automatic final score reporting to Rank One Sport, DragonFly, and more
• Video boards — drive live data to your venue's Nevco VideoPro system
• Social media — automatic score updates posted to your accounts

NeST vs. ScoreBuddy Pro

What if you don't have a scoreboard controller? ScoreBuddy Pro is the answer. It's a mobile app that acts as a virtual NeST — you score the game on your phone or tablet, and that data feeds the same ScoreBird platform. Perfect for away games, JV contests, or sports without electronic scoreboards.

Get Started

NeST is the foundation of every ScoreBird setup. Learn more about NeST or get started today.

For more tutorials, visit the ScoreBird YouTube channel.