Team vs Event Templates

Teamarr supports two template types designed for different EPG workflows. The key difference is where each one lives:

• Team templates populate the XMLTV channel Teamarr writes for that team. You map the XMLTV channel to one of your existing Dispatcharr channels.
• Event templates populate the Dispatcharr channels Teamarr creates from matched event streams.

Understanding the difference is essential for setting up your system correctly.

Team Templates

Team templates fill in the EPG for a persistent XMLTV channel dedicated to a specific team. Teamarr does not create a Dispatcharr channel here — you point one of your existing Dispatcharr channels at this XMLTV channel id.

How They Work

• Each team has its own XMLTV channel that exists 24/7 in the guide Teamarr generates
• The template is assigned to a specific team, so Teamarr knows the “viewpoint”
• Content is written from that team’s perspective using variables like {team_name} and {opponent}
• Whether the team is home or away, {team_name} is always your team and {opponent} is always the other team
• Filler programmes (pregame, postgame, idle) keep the channel populated even when no game is live

Use Cases

• “Detroit Lions” channel in your guide showing all Lions games
• “LA Lakers” channel with Lakers schedule
• Regional sports network style — one XMLTV channel per team, mapped onto a fixed Dispatcharr channel you already have

Variable Context

Team templates have access to three game contexts:

Context	Suffix	Example	Use Case
Current	(none)	{opponent}	During a game or when one game today
Next	.next	{opponent.next}	Pregame content, idle content
Last	.last	{opponent.last}	Postgame content, recaps

This allows rich content like:

• Pregame: “Next up: {team_name} vs {opponent.next} at {game_time.next}”
• Postgame: “{team_name} {result_text.last} the {opponent.last} {final_score.last}”
• Idle: “No game today. Next: {game_date.next} vs {opponent.next}”

Assigned To

Team templates are assigned to Teams in the Teams page.

One template can be shared across multiple teams - useful when you want consistent formatting across a league or even multiple leagues and sports.

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Event Templates

Event templates are for dynamic channels created per-game.

How They Work

• Channels are created when a matching stream appears
• Each channel represents one specific game
• There’s no “team viewpoint” - the channel isn’t associated with a specific team
• Content uses positional variables: {home_team} and {away_team} based on who’s hosting
• {home_team} is always the team playing at their venue, {away_team} is always the visiting team
• Channels are deleted after the game ends (configurable)

Use Cases

• IPTV providers with game-specific streams (“NFL: Bills vs Dolphins”)
• Sports packages where streams appear/disappear based on live games
• Event groups from Dispatcharr M3U accounts

Variable Context

Event templates reference only the current event - there’s no “next” or “last” game because the channel only exists for one game.

Context	Suffix	Example
Current	(none)	{home_team}, {away_team}, {venue}

Variables use positional naming:

• {home_team} - the home team
• {away_team} - the away team
• {home_team_record} - home team’s record
• {away_team_record} - away team’s record

Assigned To

Event templates are assigned to Event Groups in the Event Groups page.

Each event group can have one template that applies to all matched events in that group.

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Comparison

Feature	Team Templates	Event Templates
Channel target	XMLTV channel per team (you map it to a Dispatcharr channel)	Dispatcharr channel per matched game (Teamarr creates it)
Channel lifetime	Persistent (24/7)	Temporary (per game)
Perspective	Team-specific (“our team”)	Positional (home/away)
Suffix support	.next, .last	None needed
Idle content	Yes	No
Assigned to	Teams	Event Groups
Variables	{team_name}, {opponent}	{home_team}, {away_team}

Choosing the Right Type

Use Team Templates when:

• You want dedicated channels for specific teams
• You need 24/7 channel presence with filler content
• You’re building a team-centric viewing experience

Use Event Templates when:

• Your IPTV provider has game-specific streams
• Channels should appear/disappear with live events
• You’re matching streams from event groups

Many setups use both - team templates for favorite teams and event templates for catching other games from IPTV streams.