Digital ads on boards replacing traditional ads

[ProfessorMcFatty]

Bleck. After not watching any games for a week, I figured that I'd give it another try. I watched a game last night, but the moving ads just ruined it. The whole point of the motion is to draw your focus. Which means the NHL deliberately runs moving ads during play, to draw your focus away from the already difficult to track game. As-is, I can't say that I'll be watching too many more games in the future. It's like a banner ad that you can't close.

 

[Jetsfan79]

It's pains me to say this, but people born into this will think its normal in the future. The advertisers and league execs are banking on this. And they will endure what they perceive as short to mid term backlash from the "old crowd"

Remember the scene in Back to the Future Part 2? Where future Marty McFly sits on the couch and tells the TV to show him multiple TV channels all at once? Is that where we are headed? For me and many others, digital boards are distracting. But in 50 years will people look back and laugh at us for not being able to process (or put up with) multiple visual stimuli when consuming entertainment?

 

[Koivu11]

The moving ones during play are simply unacceptable.

 

[shuchukfan]

We need to really band together and push back. We have to do something, not just all sit here and talk to each other about it. If we come up with a plan it would likely only take everyone a few minutes to do their part and follow up.

Do we storm ESPN with customer complaints? Anyone have any ideas. Let's make a plan and go after it.

The people have so much power, if they just step up and do something. Stop letting these money hungry people constantly take from us. We have enough shit to do in life, we just want to peacefully sit down and watch a sporting event with are hard earned free time.

Like TheNumber4 said up above, boycott the companies that are advertising this way. That said, we also have to let them know we're boycotting them and why. Send an email to their headquarters and CC the NHL and all the sports networks using this tech. I'm sure we can get a list of contacts together easily.

 

[mel]

Is it just me or are the ads themselves not as bright now? I feel like they turned down the opacity to make them a little more subtle.

I’ll try and grab some screen shots to compare soon.

I'm watching the Bruins game on NESN and their ads seem wicked bright.

 

[Koivu11]

 

[Hunter368]

I literally barely even notice them throughout the game, too focused on the game/play.

 

[Judas Tavares]

It's pains me to say this, but people born into this will think its normal in the future. The advertisers and league execs are banking on this. And they will endure what they perceive as short to mid term backlash from the "old crowd"

Remember the scene in Back to the Future Part 2? Where future Marty McFly sits on the couch and tells the TV to show him multiple TV channels all at once? Is that where we are headed? For me and many others, digital boards are distracting. But in 50 years will people look back and laugh at us for not being able to process (or put up with) multiple visual stimuli when consuming entertainment?

hydrate level 4, please.

 

[Kennedys]

Digital everything is replacing traditional everything. Can't wait for Bell Center boards to be hacked

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Just want to say I f***ing hate these things. I mean, I wouldn't mind so much if they swapped out the ad content before faceoffs or during stoppages in play or other natural segues, but during play? Animated ads that scroll along the boards while you're trying to watch the game? Just no. Enough already.

 

[Oil Gauge]

I really don't think these are as bad as many of the complaints in this thread are complaining. If they made a few small changes to the way they use them they would be great.

When the ads aren't moving or changing I think they look better than the traditional "sticker" ads. What ruins it for me is the animations. Luckily the Oilers broadcasts don't have very many animated ads running. Too a lesser degree the ad changing can be distracting. I can live with that though.

I'm confused why they didn't choose to change the ads when the given ad segment wasn't being broadcast. So when the play is in one end the other end changes. and vice versa. The way it runs now is that every 30 seconds the ad changes, which probably means that they sell each 30 second segment. Which in theory makes sense. But what if its a PP and they use the behind the net glass camera for most of the 30 seconds? Do they have to refund the ad? or is the sponsor just screwed. If they just changed the ads as the camera moved from end to end they could easily build an algorithm to equally disperse the ad time to the sponsors.

I am a bit surprised that they jumped into this full speed. We saw with the player tracking that they gradually started using that tech.

 

[HBK27]

And something like this isn't even all that rare.

As much as I can't stand the motion of these ads, the fact that parts of players, the puck, sticks all routinely disappear or have a blurry outline around them in front of the boards is a much, much bigger problem. The ads also glitch whenever the door is opened on the bench.

It's almost unfathomable that the NHL went through with these ads when the technology still has a ways to go. They can't even do us a solid and turn them off when a team is at home, considering the boards are already lined with the same exact ads as the animated ones.

Even more frustrating is the lack of pushback by media. LeBrun tweeted about it....and that's about it. Next to no coverage about all the issues with these ads or the viewers it turns off.

I suffered through a decade of mediocre to outright ugly hockey from the Devils and now that they're finally good again, I have to watch the games with this crap constantly trying to distract me.

 

[Koivu11]

And something like this isn't even all that rare.

As much as I can't stand the motion of these ads, the fact that parts of players, the puck, sticks all routinely disappear or have a blurry outline around them in front of the boards is a much, much bigger problem. The ads also glitch whenever the door is opened on the bench.

It's almost unfathomable that the NHL went through with these ads when the technology still has a ways to go. They can't even do us a solid and turn them off when a team is at home, considering the boards are already lined with the same exact ads as the animated ones.

Even more frustrating is the lack of pushback by media. LeBrun tweeted about it....and that's about it. Next to no coverage about all the issues with these ads or the viewers it turns off.

I suffered through a decade of mediocre to outright ugly hockey from the Devils and now that they're finally good again, I have to watch the games with this crap constantly trying to distract me.

I’ve noticed most of the media seems to be afraid to call out the league on garbage like this and the jersey ads.

People like Friedman and Marek even seem to embrace it.

 

[pantherbot]

I’ve noticed most of the media seems to be afraid to call out the league on garbage like this and the jersey ads.

People like Friedman and Marek even seem to embrace it.

They don't want to bite the hand that feeds...

But yes the ads have been awful and I'm a bit surprised that even The Athletic hasn't made a bigger stink about it, they've usually been pretty good about calling out the league on stuff. But then, maybe it's because their own ads have crept in to the subscriber service. Bottom line, ads are taking over everything and it sucks.

 

[RogerRoger]

Everything is now just an excuse to expose us to more more intrusive ads.

 

[ProfessorMcFatty]

They don't want to bite the hand that feeds...

But yes the ads have been awful and I'm a bit surprised that even The Athletic hasn't made a bigger stink about it, they've usually been pretty good about calling out the league on stuff. But then, maybe it's because their own ads have crept in to the subscriber service. Bottom line, ads are taking over everything and it sucks.

That's the biggest surprise to me. I can understand that the NHL is too stubborn to admit that they wasted a ton of money on garbage technology. What I can't understand, is that almost no sports reporting has called them out on it. The only thing that I can think of, is guys working for the Athletic don't have to watch these terrible feeds. But even then, how is everyone so out of touch from the actual fans?

I know a lot of people are of the "It's here to stay, quit whining about it," mindset, but it doesn't have to be that way. If enough people speak up, cancel their subscriptions, etc., the NHL has to respond. At the end of the day, the dollars make the statement. I'm not optimistic, but I won't be supporting it. It's unwatchable for me.

Maybe I'll start watching college hockey instead...

 

[Suntouchable13]

I really don't think these are as bad as many of the complaints in this thread are complaining. If they made a few small changes to the way they use them they would be great.

When the ads aren't moving or changing I think they look better than the traditional "sticker" ads. What ruins it for me is the animations. Luckily the Oilers broadcasts don't have very many animated ads running. Too a lesser degree the ad changing can be distracting. I can live with that though.

I'm confused why they didn't choose to change the ads when the given ad segment wasn't being broadcast. So when the play is in one end the other end changes. and vice versa. The way it runs now is that every 30 seconds the ad changes, which probably means that they sell each 30 second segment. Which in theory makes sense. But what if its a PP and they use the behind the net glass camera for most of the 30 seconds? Do they have to refund the ad? or is the sponsor just screwed. If they just changed the ads as the camera moved from end to end they could easily build an algorithm to equally disperse the ad time to the sponsors.

I am a bit surprised that they jumped into this full speed. We saw with the player tracking that they gradually started using that tech.

I think this is missing the point. We shouldn't be subjected to this crap at all. There are way too many ads. There shouldn't be anything like this in the first place. Ads on top of ads, this is just ridiculous. We shouldn't support this at all. f***ing greedy f***ers.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

I really don't think these are as bad as many of the complaints in this thread are complaining. If they made a few small changes to the way they use them they would be great.

I don't mind it when people piss in my mouth, as long as they don't have a UTI.

 

[Jozay]

This shit is awful

 

[DuklaNation]

Customer is always right. Cancel subscriptions and don't watch. Submit complaints. If numbers decrease enough, they will adjust their tactics.

 

[pantherbot]

Customer is always right. Cancel subscriptions and don't watch. Submit complaints. If numbers decrease enough, they will adjust their tactics.

Most people sub for the full season, I know I have. Let's just say I'll be finding alternate sources in the future.

 

[JianYang]

The boards need an ad blocking device.

The nhl is the only league where they have transitional ads in the feild of play.

 

[ProfessorMcFatty]

The boards need an ad blocking device.

The nhl is the only league where they have transitional ads in the feild of play.

Boggles my mind. It's not just stupid in any sport, because it significantly waters down the product, but because hockey is by far the most difficult to track.

I'm not a football fan, but I can't see the NFL even considering risking their cash cow on this bush league garbage. The NHL is finally seeing larger profits (from what I understand), and they risk it on this stupid greed.

 

[Andy6]

It's pains me to say this, but people born into this will think its normal in the future. The advertisers and league execs are banking on this. And they will endure what they perceive as short to mid term backlash from the "old crowd"

Remember the scene in Back to the Future Part 2? Where future Marty McFly sits on the couch and tells the TV to show him multiple TV channels all at once? Is that where we are headed? For me and many others, digital boards are distracting. But in 50 years will people look back and laugh at us for not being able to process (or put up with) multiple visual stimuli when consuming entertainment?

People think that ordinary ads on boards are normal now. There was a time when it seemed like a tacky idea that would never fly in North America. You're probably on the right track with the other point -- anyone from a century ago who came back to life today would quickly become physically ill from the visual overstimulation of modern life. We likely see more images in a day than many people would have seen in their entire lives until comparatively recent times.

 

[takimaki]

Cut out the animations and just change ads between camera changes? Is that so difficult to figure out, NHL?