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How to Set Up a March Madness Digital Billboard Campaign with Live Game Scores

Overview

This comprehensive guide walks you through creating an automated NCAA March Madness campaign that runs throughout the entire tournament. Using Lucit's NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores app, you'll set up a campaign with three distinct creative templates that automatically display the right content at the right time for every game.

What Makes This Campaign Special

March Madness is one of the highest-demand advertising periods of the year. This campaign setup allows you to:

  • Run Every Game Automatically - Set it up once and the system handles all games and matchups as the tournament progresses
  • No Manual Updates - No feed babysitting, no broken data feeds, no manual score updates
  • Automatic Start & Stop - Each creative activates and retires automatically based on the official tournament schedule
  • Full Game Lifecycle Coverage - Display pre-game matchups, live scores during games, and final scores when games end
  • Unlimited Creative Freedom - Design in your favorite tools, use any branding, and Lucit handles the live data

Campaign Concept

You'll create three template types that work together to cover the entire game lifecycle:

  1. Pre-Game Template - Shows upcoming matchups, game times, and team information before tip-off
  2. During Game Template - Displays real-time scores, game clock, and current quarter/half information
  3. Post-Game Template - Shows final scores and game results after the game ends

The app automatically switches between these templates based on the actual game status, ensuring the right creative displays at the right moment.

Objective

By the end of this guide, you will have:

  • Created and configured a March Madness campaign in Lucit
  • Connected the NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores data source
  • Designed three dynamic templates for different game stages
  • Set up template conditions to automatically show the right creative
  • Launched an automated campaign that runs every tournament game

Prerequisites

Before starting this guide, ensure you have:

  • A Lucit account with appropriate permissions
  • Access to create or manage advertiser accounts
  • A campaign with screens attached (or the ability to create one)
  • Design software to create template backgrounds (Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, etc.)
  • Background images in appropriate sizes for your screens
  • Basic understanding of the Template Designer in Lucit

Part 1: Account and Campaign Setup

Step 1: Create or Select Your Account

  1. Log in to Lucit
  2. Use the Profile Switcher to switch to your Ad Agency profile (if applicable)
  3. Either:
  4. Create a new account for your client: Profile Drop-Down → Add New Account
  5. Switch to an existing account that will run the campaign
  6. Give the account a clear name (e.g., "Sports Bar Chain - March Madness 2026")

Step 2: Create a New Campaign

  1. Navigate to Campaigns in the left sidebar
  2. Click the {3-Dots Icon} → ADD CAMPAIGN button
  3. Click CREATE CAMPAIGN

Step 3: Add Screens to Campaign

  1. Open your new campaign
  2. Click on the SCREENS tab
  3. Add screens where the March Madness ads will display:
  4. Select the screens from your inventory
  5. Verify all screens are properly added

Part 2: Adding the NCAA Basketball Data Source

Step 4: Add the NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores App

  1. Switch to your advertiser account profile (the account running the campaign)
  2. Navigate to Apps & Data in the left sidebar
  3. Click ADD NEW at the top
  4. Search for "NCAA Basketball - Live Game Scores"
  5. Click on the app card to open the Authorize Application dialog
  6. Review the requested permissions
  7. Click the ALLOW button to add the app to your account

Step 5: Configure the Data Source - Season Settings

  1. In Apps & Data, click on the newly added "NCAA Basketball - Live Game Scores" app
  2. Click on the SETTINGS tab
  3. Configure the Season field:
  4. Enter: 2025-2026
  5. This tells the app which season's data to pull

Step 6: Configure Game Date Settings

You have two options for the Game Date setting:

Option A: Leave Blank for "Today's Games"

  • Leave the Game Date field blank
  • The app will automatically pull games scheduled for the current day
  • Best for: Campaigns running throughout the tournament that should show whatever games are happening today

Option B: Specify a Specific Date

  • Enter a date in YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g., 2026-03-20)
  • The app will only pull games from that specific date
  • Best for: Testing, specific game day promotions, or single-day campaigns

Recommendation: For a full tournament campaign, leave this blank so it automatically updates daily.

Step 7: Enable Pre-Game Status

  1. Find the Include games in pre-game status checkbox
  2. Check this box to enable pre-game creatives
  3. This allows you to show upcoming matchup information before games start
  4. Without this enabled, creatives will only appear once games are live

Step 8: Choose Teams

You have two main scenarios for team selection:

Scenario A: All Tournament Teams (Comprehensive Coverage)

To run creatives for every game in the tournament:

  1. In the Choose Teams dropdown, click Select All or manually select all teams
  2. This will create inventory items for every game involving any NCAA team
  3. Advantages:
  4. Complete tournament coverage
  5. No games are missed
  6. Maximizes advertising inventory
  7. Considerations:
  8. More inventory items to manage
  9. Some games may have less local appeal

Scenario B: Specific Teams Only (Targeted Approach)

To run creatives for specific teams (e.g., local favorites, conference teams):

  1. In the Choose Teams dropdown, search for and select specific teams
  2. Example selections:
  3. Local university teams
  4. Conference rivals
  5. Top-ranked teams
  6. Client's preferred teams
  7. Advantages:
  8. More targeted to audience interests
  9. Easier to manage fewer inventory items
  10. Can focus on high-interest matchups
  11. Considerations:
  12. May miss some tournament games
  13. Less total advertising inventory

Pro Tip: You can combine approaches by selecting all major conference teams or all teams likely to make the tournament. This provides good coverage while keeping the list manageable.

Example Team Selections

For a Sports Bar in North Carolina: - North Carolina - Duke - NC State - Wake Forest - NC Greensboro - UNC Asheville - Charlotte - Plus: Top-ranked teams from other conferences

For a National Brand: - Select All Teams (full tournament coverage)

For a Regional Brand in the Midwest: - All Big Ten teams - All Big 12 teams - Top-ranked teams from other conferences

Step 9: Configure Tag Creation

  1. Find the Create tags from team names dropdown
  2. Choose: "Yes - Create Tags"
  3. This automatically creates tags for each team name
  4. Why this matters: Tags allow you to:
  5. Filter inventory items by team
  6. Create team-specific promotions
  7. Target specific screens with specific teams
  8. Analyze performance by team

Step 10: Save and Verify Data Source

  1. Click SAVE CHANGES at the bottom of the settings
  2. Click on the DATA tab
  3. Wait for the initial data pull (may take 1-2 minutes)
  4. Verify you see game data appearing:
  5. Each row represents a game
  6. You'll see team names, dates, game times
  7. Status fields show pre-game, in-game, or post-game
  8. Important: Games only appear on their scheduled date (or day before if pre-game is enabled)

Step 11: Understanding the Data Source Schedule

The NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores app automatically updates on a schedule:

  • Default Update Frequency: Every 5 minutes during games
  • Off-Hours: Less frequent updates when no games are scheduled
  • Automatic Data Management:
  • Pre-game data appears before tip-off
  • Live data updates throughout the game
  • Post-game data persists after the game ends
  • Old games are automatically retired

You don't need to manually trigger updates - the system handles everything automatically based on the official NCAA tournament schedule.

Part 3: Designing Your Templates

Now you'll create three templates that automatically display based on game status. Each template will use the same data source but display different information.

Understanding Template Conditions

Template conditions tell Lucit when to show each template. The NCAA Basketball app provides status fields that indicate the game state:

  • {item.inventory_attributes.pregame} - Set to "1" before game starts
  • {item.inventory_attributes.ingame} - Set to "1" during the game
  • {item.inventory_attributes.postgame} - Set to "1" after game ends

Step 12: Create the Pre-Game Template

The pre-game template shows before the game starts, highlighting the upcoming matchup.

Design Guidelines

What to Include: - Team names/logos - Game time and date - Venue information (optional) - "Coming Up" or "Next Game" messaging - Your client's branding

Layout Suggestions: - Use a clean, anticipatory design - Emphasize the matchup (Team A vs Team B) - Make game time prominent and easy to read - Consider a countdown feel

Create the Template

  1. Navigate to Templates from the home screen
  2. Click NEW TEMPLATE
  3. Name it: "March Madness - Pre-Game"
  4. Select your screen format/size
  5. Click CREATE

Design the Background

  1. In the Template Designer, click Layers → Background
  2. Upload your pre-game background image
  3. Design tips:
  4. Use colors that match March Madness branding (blues, championship themes)
  5. Leave clear space for dynamic team information
  6. Include your client's logo and branding
  7. Consider using a "tip-off" or "coming soon" visual theme

Add Dynamic Text Elements

Add the following text elements with their corresponding macros:

Away Team Name: - Add a text layer - Position it on the left or top - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.teams_away_name} - Style: Large, bold, team-focused font - Color: White or high contrast

Home Team Name: - Add a text layer - Position it on the right or bottom - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.teams_home_name} - Style: Large, bold, team-focused font - Color: White or high contrast

"VS" Separator (Optional): - Add static text: "VS" or "vs" - Position between team names - Style: Medium size, elegant

Game Time: - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.time} - Style: Medium-large, clear and readable - Consider adding static text label: "TIP-OFF:"

Game Date: - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.date} - Style: Medium size - Format will be YYYY-MM-DD from the data source

Venue (Optional): - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.venue} - Style: Smaller, supporting information - Consider adding label: "LOCATION:"

Week/Stage (Optional): - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.week} - This shows tournament round information - Style: Small to medium

Preview and Test

  1. Click the Preview button
  2. Use the data selector to preview with different game data
  3. Check that all text is visible and properly sized
  4. Verify team names don't overflow their containers
  5. Test with different team name lengths

Save the Template

  1. Click SAVE or SAVE & CLOSE
  2. Your pre-game template is now ready

Step 13: Create the During-Game Template

The during-game template shows live, real-time scores as the game progresses.

Design Guidelines

What to Include: - Team names - Current scores (prominent and large) - Game clock/timer - Current quarter/half - Game status (e.g., "2nd Half") - Your client's branding

Layout Suggestions: - Design for quick readability at a distance - Make scores the largest elements - Use a dynamic, energetic design - Consider scoreboard-style layouts - Update frequently (data updates every few minutes)

Create the Template

  1. Navigate to Templates from the home screen
  2. Click NEW TEMPLATE
  3. Name it: "March Madness - Live Game"
  4. Select the same screen format as your pre-game template
  5. Click CREATE

Design the Background

  1. Click Layers → Background
  2. Upload your live-game background image
  3. Design tips:
  4. Use energetic, action-oriented imagery
  5. Scoreboard-style design elements work well
  6. Leave prominent space for large score numbers
  7. Consider "LIVE" indicators or pulsing elements
  8. Maintain client branding

Add Dynamic Text Elements

Away Team Name: - Add a text layer - Position on the left or top - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.teams_away_name} - Style: Bold, clear

Away Team Score: - Add a text layer (this is the key element!) - Position prominently near away team - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_away_total} - Style: VERY LARGE, bold, high contrast - This should be one of the biggest elements

Home Team Name: - Add a text layer - Position on the right or bottom - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.teams_home_name} - Style: Bold, clear

Home Team Score: - Add a text layer (this is the key element!) - Position prominently near home team - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_home_total} - Style: VERY LARGE, bold, high contrast - Should match away score size

Game Status: - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.status_long} - Shows status like "1st Half", "2nd Half", "Halftime" - Style: Medium size, clear - Consider adding static label: "STATUS:"

Game Clock: - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.status_timer} - Shows time remaining in current period - Style: Medium-large, easily readable - Consider clock icon or "TIME:" label

Quarter/Period Scores (Optional but Impressive):

If you want to show detailed scoring by period:

  • Away Q1: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_away_quarter_1}
  • Away Q2: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_away_quarter_2}
  • Home Q1: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_home_quarter_1}
  • Home Q2: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_home_quarter_2}

These can be displayed as a mini scoreboard table.

"LIVE" Indicator (Optional): - Add static text: "LIVE" or "● LIVE" - Style: Bright color (red or green), eye-catching - Alternatively, use a graphic element that indicates live action

Preview and Test

  1. Preview the template
  2. Select a game that's currently in progress (if available)
  3. Verify scores are large and prominent
  4. Check that all elements are visible
  5. Test with different score combinations (low scores, high scores)

Save the Template

  1. Click SAVE or SAVE & CLOSE
  2. Your live-game template is now ready

Step 14: Create the Post-Game Template

The post-game template displays after the game ends, showing final results.

Design Guidelines

What to Include: - Team names - Final scores (prominent) - "FINAL" indicator - Winning team highlight (optional but recommended) - Game date (optional) - Your client's branding

Layout Suggestions: - Clean, conclusive design - Clearly indicate the game is over - Consider highlighting the winner - Use "FINAL" prominently - Design should feel definitive, not active

Create the Template

  1. Navigate to Templates
  2. Click NEW TEMPLATE
  3. Name it: "March Madness - Final Score"
  4. Select the same screen format
  5. Click CREATE

Design the Background

  1. Click Layers → Background
  2. Upload your post-game background image
  3. Design tips:
  4. Use a conclusive, results-oriented design
  5. Consider championship or victory themes
  6. Include prominent "FINAL" or "GAME OVER" messaging in the background
  7. Maintain brand consistency with other templates
  8. Less dynamic than live-game, more stable

Add Dynamic Text Elements

"FINAL" Indicator: - Add static text layer: "FINAL" or "FINAL SCORE" - Position prominently (often at top or center) - Style: Large, bold, attention-grabbing - Consider a box or banner behind it

Away Team Name: - Add a text layer - Position on left or top - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.teams_away_name} - Style: Bold, clear

Away Team Final Score: - Add a text layer - Position prominently - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_away_total} - Style: VERY LARGE, bold - Same size as during-game scores

Home Team Name: - Add a text layer - Position on right or bottom - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.teams_home_name} - Style: Bold, clear

Home Team Final Score: - Add a text layer - Position prominently - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.scores_home_total} - Style: VERY LARGE, bold - Match away score size

Game Date (Optional): - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.date} - Style: Smaller, supporting information

Status Confirmation (Optional): - Add a text layer - Insert macro: {item.inventory_attributes.status_long} - Will typically show "Game Finished" or "Final" - Style: Medium size

Winner Highlight (Optional - Advanced):

If you want to visually highlight the winner, you can create two versions of this template: - One for when home team wins - One for when away team wins

Then use conditional logic based on comparing score values (this requires more advanced template techniques).

Preview and Test

  1. Preview the template
  2. Test with completed game data
  3. Verify "FINAL" is prominent
  4. Check score visibility
  5. Ensure design feels conclusive

Save the Template

  1. Click SAVE or SAVE & CLOSE
  2. Your post-game template is now ready

Part 4: Connecting Templates to the Data Source

Now you'll tell Lucit which template to show for each game status. This is where the magic happens - automatic template switching based on game state.

Step 15: Navigate to Template Settings

  1. Switch to your advertiser account profile
  2. Go to Apps & Data
  3. Click on "NCAA Basketball - Live Game Scores"
  4. Click on the TEMPLATES tab

Step 16: Assign the Default Template

The default template is what shows when no other conditions are met. We'll use the live-game template as the default since that's the primary state.

  1. Under Default Template, click CHOOSE DEFAULT TEMPLATE
  2. Select: "March Madness - Live Game"
  3. Click SELECT or SAVE

Step 17: Add the Pre-Game Template with Conditions

Now add the pre-game template so it shows before games start.

  1. Under Additional Templates, click ADD TEMPLATE
  2. Select: "March Madness - Pre-Game"
  3. Click the + CONDITION button to add a condition
  4. Configure the condition:
  5. Field: Select Pregame from the dropdown
  6. Operator: Select is equal to or equals
  7. Value: Enter 1
  8. This condition means: "Show this template when pregame = 1"
  9. Click SAVE or ADD TEMPLATE

How it works: The data source sets pregame = 1 for games that haven't started yet. When the game begins, this changes to 0 and ingame becomes 1, automatically switching templates.

Step 18: Add the Post-Game Template with Conditions

Add the post-game template to show after games end.

  1. Click ADD TEMPLATE again
  2. Select: "March Madness - Final Score"
  3. Click the + CONDITION button
  4. Configure the condition:
  5. Field: Select Postgame from the dropdown
  6. Operator: Select is equal to or equals
  7. Value: Enter 1
  8. This condition means: "Show this template when postgame = 1"
  9. Click SAVE or ADD TEMPLATE

How it works: When the game ends, the data source sets postgame = 1, automatically switching from the live template to the final score template.

Step 19: Verify Template Setup

Your template configuration should now look like this:

  • Default Template: March Madness - Live Game
  • Additional Templates:
  • March Madness - Pre-Game (Condition: pregame = 1)
  • March Madness - Final Score (Condition: postgame = 1)

The logic flow: 1. Before game → Pre-game template shows 2. Game starts → Live game template shows (default) 3. Game ends → Final score template shows

Understanding the Automatic Switching

What happens automatically: - Before a game starts, viewers see the pre-game matchup - The moment the game starts (based on official start time), the creative switches to live scores - Scores update automatically every few minutes during the game - When the game ends, the creative switches to show final scores - Old games are eventually retired from rotation

You don't need to: - Manually switch templates - Update scores - Turn creatives on and off - Schedule individual ads - Monitor game start times

The system handles all of this automatically based on official NCAA tournament data.

Part 5: Campaign Scheduling and Best Practices

Step 20: Review and Test

Before going live, perform these checks:

Data Verification: 1. Go to Apps & Data → NCAA Basketball - Live Game Scores → DATA tab 2. Verify games are appearing 3. Check that team names look correct 4. Confirm dates and times are showing

Template Preview: 1. Go to Templates 2. Open each of your three templates 3. Preview with actual game data 4. Verify all macros are populating correctly 5. Check for any text overflow or formatting issues

Campaign Check: 1. Verify screens are attached to campaign 2. Confirm campaign dates are correct 3. Check budget/scheduling settings 4. Verify no conflicts with other campaigns

Step 22: Launch the Campaign

  1. Ensure all templates are saved and assigned
  2. Verify the data source is active and pulling data
  3. Set the campaign status to ACTIVE or LIVE
  4. Monitor the first few hours to ensure creatives are displaying correctly

Part 6: Understanding How the System Works

Automatic Game Management

Data Updates: - The NCAA Basketball app connects to official tournament data feeds - Data updates automatically every 5 minutes during active games - Schedule information is pulled from official NCAA sources - No manual intervention is required

Game Lifecycle:

  1. Pre-Game Phase (typically 2-4 hours before tip-off):
  2. pregame = 1 is set
  3. Pre-game template displays
  4. Shows upcoming matchup information

  5. Game time countdown begins

  6. Game Start (at official tip-off):

  7. pregame changes to 0
  8. ingame = 1 is set
  9. Creative automatically switches to live game template

  10. Scores begin appearing

  11. During Game (throughout the game):

  12. Scores update every few minutes
  13. Game clock updates
  14. Quarter/half information updates

  15. ingame remains 1

  16. Game End (when game concludes):

  17. ingame changes to 0
  18. postgame = 1 is set
  19. Creative switches to final score template

  20. Final scores display

  21. Post-Game (after game ends):

  22. Final score template continues to display
  23. Game remains in inventory for a period
  24. Eventually removed from rotation based on settings

Template Condition Priority

When the system evaluates which template to show, it checks conditions in order:

  1. First: Checks all "Additional Templates" with conditions
  2. Match Found: If a condition matches (pregame = 1), show that template
  3. No Match: If no conditions match, show the default template
  4. Multiple Matches: If multiple conditions match (shouldn't happen with our setup), uses the first matching template

This is why our setup works: - Pre-game condition matches → Show pre-game template - No conditions match (game is live) → Show default (live game) template - Post-game condition matches → Show post-game template

Data Refresh and Accuracy

Score Accuracy: - Scores are pulled from official NCAA data sources - Updates typically occur every 2-5 minutes during games - There may be a slight delay (30-60 seconds) behind live TV broadcasts - This is normal and acceptable for digital signage

Game Status: - Game status changes (pregame → ingame → postgame) happen in real-time - Template switches occur within seconds of status changes - No manual intervention needed

Part 7: Team Selection Strategies

Strategy 1: All Teams (Maximum Coverage)

Best For: - National brands - Major sports bars and entertainment venues - Clients wanting complete tournament coverage - Maximum advertising inventory

Setup: - Select all teams in the "Choose Teams" setting - Results in 60+ games throughout the tournament - Every matchup is covered

Considerations: - More inventory items to manage - Some games may have less regional appeal - Maximizes screen utilization during tournament

Strategy 2: Conference-Based Selection

Best For: - Regional brands - Local sports bars - Clients with specific conference affinity

Setup: - Select all teams from specific conferences (e.g., all ACC teams, all Big Ten teams) - Captures major matchups within those conferences - Ensures conference rivalry games are covered

Example - ACC Focus: - Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, etc. - Captures high-interest games in ACC territory

Strategy 3: Local Team Focus

Best For: - Highly localized campaigns - Small to medium businesses - Clients with strong local team loyalty

Setup: - Select only local university teams - Add conference rivals - Include teams most likely to go deep in tournament

Example - Midwest Local: - Purdue (local team) - Indiana (rival) - Michigan, Michigan State (conference) - Plus top 3-5 national seeds

Strategy 4: Hybrid Approach

Best For: - Most campaigns - Balance between coverage and manageability

Setup: - Select local/regional teams - Add all major conference teams - Include current top-25 ranked teams - Results in 30-40 games

Advantages: - Covers most high-interest matchups - Manageable inventory size - Captures local and national interest

Adjusting Team Selection After Launch

You can modify team selection after launch:

  1. Go to Apps & Data → NCAA Basketball - Live Game Scores
  2. Click SETTINGS
  3. Modify the Choose Teams selection
  4. Click SAVE CHANGES
  5. New games for selected teams will appear
  6. Existing games remain in inventory

Best Practice: Start with broader selection and narrow if needed, rather than starting narrow and expanding.

Part 8: Advanced Tips and Optimizations

Tip 1: Create Team-Specific Templates (Advanced)

For clients with strong team loyalty, create multiple templates:

  1. Create a base template for general games
  2. Create special templates for local team games
  3. Use conditions based on team name:
  4. Condition: teams_home_name equals "Duke"
  5. Condition: teams_away_name equals "Duke"
  6. Assign local-team-branded template to those conditions

Tip 2: Dayparting for Maximum Impact

Schedule your campaign to show more frequently during peak game times:

  1. Open campaign settings
  2. Set up dayparting:
  3. 12pm - 3pm: Higher rotation (afternoon games)
  4. 3pm - 6pm: Moderate rotation
  5. 6pm - 11pm: Higher rotation (evening games)
  6. 11pm - 12pm: Lower rotation (fewer/no games)

Tip 3: Prepare for Final Four and Championship

As the tournament progresses:

  1. Consider creating special templates for Final Four games
  2. Increase rotation frequency during championship games
  3. Add special branding or messaging for finals
  4. Use conditions based on week or stage macros to show special templates for later rounds

Tip 4: Extend Campaign Value

Post-tournament opportunities:

  1. Keep final score templates running for a few days after tournament
  2. Create "Championship Results" static creative
  3. Transition to "See You Next Year" messaging
  4. Build excitement for next season

Tip 5: Test Before Tournament Start Date

Testing strategy:

  1. Late February: Set up campaign, add app, create templates
  2. Early March: Use current regular season games to test
  3. Set Game Date to a specific date with games
  4. Verify templates switch correctly
  5. Test all three template types
  6. Week Before Tournament: Switch to blank Game Date setting
  7. Tournament Start: Campaign goes live automatically

Part 9: Troubleshooting

Issue: No Games Appearing in Data Tab

Possible Causes: - Season set incorrectly - Game Date set to a date with no games - No games scheduled for today (if Game Date is blank) - Data source still loading (wait 2-3 minutes)

Solutions: 1. Verify season is set to "2025-2026" 2. Check that Game Date is blank (for today's games) or set correctly 3. Verify teams are selected in "Choose Teams" 4. Click refresh on the DATA tab 5. Check that the data source schedule is active

Issue: Templates Not Switching

Possible Causes: - Conditions not set correctly - Wrong field names in conditions - Template not assigned to data source - Game status not updating

Solutions: 1. Go to Apps & Data → TEMPLATES tab 2. Verify each template has correct conditions: - Pre-game: pregame = 1 - Post-game: postgame = 1 3. Check that field names match exactly (case-sensitive) 4. Verify data source is actively updating (check DATA tab) 5. Preview templates to ensure macros work

Issue: Scores Not Updating

Possible Causes: - Game not actually started yet - Data source schedule paused - Network connectivity issues

Solutions: 1. Check the DATA tab to see if data is updating there 2. Verify the ingame field is set to "1" 3. Wait 5-10 minutes (update frequency) 4. Check data source schedule is not set to Manual 5. Verify campaign is active

Issue: Text Overflowing or Cut Off

Possible Causes: - Team names longer than expected - Text box too small - Font size too large

Solutions: 1. Open template in Template Designer 2. Increase text box size 3. Reduce font size slightly 4. Use text overflow settings (truncate, scale) 5. Preview with longest team names to test 6. Consider using abbreviated team names if available

Issue: Wrong Games Showing

Possible Causes: - Team selection too broad - Date settings incorrect - Testing with old data

Solutions: 1. Review Choose Teams settings 2. Verify season year is correct 3. Check Game Date setting 4. Refresh data source 5. Clear old inventory items if testing

Part 10: Checklist and Launch

Pre-Launch Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure everything is ready:

Account & Campaign Setup: - [ ] Account created and configured - [ ] Campaign created with correct dates (March 15 - April 7) - [ ] Screens added to campaign - [ ] Campaign schedule configured

Data Source Configuration: - [ ] NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores app added - [ ] Season set to "2025-2026" - [ ] Game Date setting configured (blank for daily updates) - [ ] "Include games in pre-game status" enabled - [ ] Teams selected (all teams or specific teams) - [ ] "Create tags from team names" set to "Yes" - [ ] Settings saved - [ ] Data appearing in DATA tab

Templates Created: - [ ] Pre-game template designed and saved - [ ] Live game template designed and saved - [ ] Post-game template designed and saved - [ ] All templates use correct macros - [ ] Text elements properly sized - [ ] Backgrounds uploaded - [ ] Templates previewed with actual data - [ ] No text overflow issues

Template Assignment: - [ ] Default template set (Live Game) - [ ] Pre-game template added with condition: pregame = 1 - [ ] Post-game template added with condition: postgame = 1 - [ ] All templates saved in TEMPLATES tab

Testing: - [ ] Previewed all three templates - [ ] Verified automatic switching (if test games available) - [ ] Checked all macros populate correctly - [ ] Tested with different team names - [ ] Verified on actual screens (if possible)

Final Review: - [ ] Campaign set to ACTIVE - [ ] Client approval obtained - [ ] Monitoring plan in place - [ ] Team notified of launch - [ ] Analytics tracking configured

Launch Day

  1. Morning Check (9am):
  2. Verify data is pulling today's games
  3. Confirm pre-game templates are showing

  4. Check all screens are online

  5. First Game Tip-Off (around 12pm):

  6. Monitor template switch to live game
  7. Verify scores are updating

  8. Check multiple screens

  9. End of Day (11pm):

  10. Review analytics
  11. Check for any errors

  12. Verify post-game templates displayed

  13. Daily Monitoring:

  14. Quick check each morning
  15. Verify day's games are loaded
  16. Monitor any client feedback

Part 11: Client Communication

Pre-Campaign Presentation

When presenting this campaign to clients, emphasize:

The Opportunity: - "March Madness is one of the highest-demand advertising periods of the year" - "67 games over 3 weeks of intense fan engagement" - "Automatic coverage of every game - set it once, runs itself"

The Value: - "No manual updates required - scores and games update automatically" - "Professional, real-time sports content on your screens" - "Three distinct creative phases: anticipation, excitement, results" - "Captures attention during the most-watched college sports event"

The Ease: - "We set it up once before the tournament starts" - "System handles all game schedules, score updates, and template switching" - "You can focus on customers while your screens deliver timely, relevant content"

Campaign Approval

Get client approval on: 1. Template designs (show mockups with sample team/score data) 2. Team selection strategy (all teams vs. specific teams) 3. Campaign schedule and rotation frequency 4. Budget allocation 5. Success metrics and reporting schedule

Post-Launch Reporting

Provide clients with: - Weekly performance reports - Total impressions by game/day - Peak performance times - Engagement metrics (if available) - Screenshot examples of live creatives - Comparison to other campaigns

Part 12: Scaling and Variations

Running Multiple Campaigns

For clients with multiple locations or screen groups:

Option 1: Single Campaign, Multiple Screen Groups - One campaign with all screens - One set of templates - Unified management

Option 2: Multiple Campaigns, Regional Focus - Separate campaigns for different regions - Region-specific team selections - Localized branding per region

Option 3: Multiple Campaigns, Different Clients - Reuse templates across clients - Customize branding per client - Unique team selections per client

Variations to Offer

Variation 1: Pre-Tournament Promo - Start campaign March 1st with "Tournament Coming Soon" creative - Switch to live games on tournament start date. - Builds anticipation

Variation 2: Bracket Integration - Add static bracket graphic templates - Show tournament progression - Update bracket after each round (manual)

Variation 3: Sponsorship Integration - Add sponsor logos to templates - "Brought to you by..." messaging - Sponsor-specific branding elements

Variation 4: Multi-Sport Package - Combine with other sports apps (NBA, NHL, etc.) - Offer "Sports Package" pricing - Year-round sports content strategy

Conclusion

You now have a comprehensive understanding of how to set up, design, and launch an automated March Madness campaign using Lucit's NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores app. This campaign delivers:

  • Automated Game Coverage: Every game, every score, automatically
  • Zero Manual Management: Set it up once, it runs itself
  • Professional Dynamic Content: Real-time sports data on your screens
  • Full Game Lifecycle: Pre-game anticipation, live excitement, final results
  • Scalable Solution: Works for one screen or hundreds

Key Takeaways:

  1. Plan Ahead: Set up at least one week before the tournament starts
  2. Design Strategically: Three templates cover all game phases
  3. Configure Thoughtfully: Team selection impacts coverage
  4. Test Thoroughly: Use current games to verify before tournament
  5. Monitor Initially: Check frequently on launch day, then periodically
  6. Communicate Value: Help clients understand the power of automation

Next Steps:

  1. Set up your account and campaign today
  2. Add the NCAA Basketball Live Game Scores app
  3. Design your three templates
  4. Configure template conditions
  5. Test with current games
  6. Launch confidently in March

Tournament Timeline: - Selection Sunday: March 9, 2026 (teams announced) - First Four: March 11-12, 2026 - First Round: March 15-16, 2026 - Second Round: March 19-20, 2026 - Sweet 16: March 26-27, 2026 - Elite Eight: March 28-29, 2026 - Final Four: April 4, 2026 - Championship: April 6, 2026

March Madness is one of the easiest high-value, high-urgency opportunities of the year - and once it's live, it runs itself. Good luck with your campaign!

Additional Resources

Support

If you encounter issues or have questions:

  1. Review the troubleshooting section above
  2. Check the technical reference documentation
  3. Contact Lucit support: https://www.lucit.cc/help
  4. Join the Lucit developer community

Last updated: January 29, 2026