If you were voted for NHL Commissioner for a day, how do you market the NHL?

[archangel2]

As someone who has a degree heavily influenced by marketing. It is amusing how little some people understand how to market a product.

 

[PhysicalGraffiti]

Show highlights from the Red Wings/Avalanche years of vicious fighting to include the goalie fights. I'd utilized AI To make it look like it wasn't from the 90's.

 

[dabeechman]

Most of us are fans because of the way hockey "used" to be. My beer league games shouldn't be chippier than the NHL.

1). You have to bring back the accessibility of the game. The viewer is required to pay for multiple subscriptions to watch every game of their team. National blackouts and NHLN games can get the boot.

2) Officials need to step back and let the game play itself. Currently officials are too involved in "game management".

3) Simple to understand rules regarding goal/no-goal situations. We have all watched hockey for a long time, and we still have no idea why some goals are good and others are called off.

4) Violence. It is a physical sport. Let them be violent. It's the one thing that sets ice hockey apart from many of the other sporting events. Head shots, boarding, etc. are a hard stop, but soft calls and enabling the diving to continue to be apart of the game needs to stop.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

My beer league games shouldn't be chippier than the NHL.

Really depends on the level (when I play A and B, it's fine; when I play lower levels, hoo boy...) but beer league games have always been chippier than the NHL.

Especially in non-checking leagues, because (some) players take every bit of contact as a personal affront.

Shout out to the Sport Stable in Superior, Colorado and to the Promenade in Westminster! Y'all keep it real.

 

[Bruce Granville]

What percentage of responses to this aren't going to be marketing-related? 70%?

Well, the issue with marketing is that 50% of it is a waste of money.
Unfortunately you don‘t know which half…

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

Executives from across the major sports generally agree that the NHL has the best on-field product, but the failure is translating that to a broadcast. This has been a failure of the NHL's broadcast partners more than the league directly, and it means that even if the NHL had hit upon some good marketing tactics, you wouldn't really know it, as the televised product can't sustain viewership.

Where the league has a responsibility is to focus on that product instead of the money in contract negotiations with carriers. Who is going to invest talent, and who has a vision for a dynamic broadcast that brings the on-ice action to the screen?

Figure out how to give viewers something that they'll want to keep watching before you try to get them to watch.

 

[doublechili]

If the ultimate goal is to make hockey as popular as the other major sports, they've got to get rid of the ice.

That's not a serious suggestion, but that doesn't also mean it's not correct.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

No blackouts

 

[Harvey Birdman]

The league needs a better streaming situation that it has now. So I’d setup meetings with all of YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, and Apple and work out a deal where I could get all the games under one roof. Obviously there would have to be a staggered roll out due to existing regional distribution but let them expire and have a line in the sand date on this date all games will be under one roof. Ease of access for the paying fan is the number one easiest way to grow the game.

Expand out community outreach programs. Sit down equipment manufacturers, the players association, ownership, and work out a way to create a grant fund that could be distributed by the 32 teams to local youth athletes, associations, or schools to get more sticks in hands. Pay for skate lessons. And endear these young athletes to their team and the league. Grow out these programs as large as they could be made that financially makes sense. I know some outreach like this currently exists but it needs greatly expanded and promoted.

Actively encourage the players association to have the star players interact with social media personalities and podcasts. Reach out to the largest podcasts, the Joe Rogans, Lex Fridmans, etc and try to build that bridge so that the star players can get more exposure and be put into situations where their personalities can be seen.

 

[kingsfan28]

No more marketing the outdated "original six" as the leagues main slogan. Nobody is racing home so they can watch an original six game, yet every week, there it is pushed on the fans as a huge deal.

Better broadcast teams and on ice production. ESPN is the worst at this. They use 5 cameras, that's it, zero creativity in their broadcasts for hockey. It's like they send their worst camera men to these games. The NFL on average uses 15-20 per game, double during the playoffs . I don't want to hear PK Subban talk about Ed Snieder and Bobby Clarke for the entire 3rd period as the game is going on either . Shut up and call the game!

No more blackouts. One spot to watch any game with any teams feeds without the bs of blackouts because you live in a territory 3 miles outside your teams zone, and technically inside another zone.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Nothing too crazy
newspaper and magazine ads
maybe a couple radio commercials
get the NHL into blimps

This tracks tbh.

My first nhl game was the Flames vs Caps at the USAir Arena in 1993, and they had a miniature Goodyear blimp that flew around inside the arena via remote control. I thought it was the coolest f***ing thing I’d ever seen and wanted to grow up to be the guy that controlled the blimp.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I have noticed several threads about the failure of the NHL to market itself.

If you were voted NHL commissioner for a day, what kind of ideas you have to better market the NHL?

Why do you have any good ideas ?

 

[Golden_Jet]

Abolish the NHL Network exclusive games, and abolish local blackouts.

That’s not bad , that would mean cap wouldn’t go up as quick, and eliminate some TV money, and mean season tickets won’t go up as quickly in price.

 

[GordonGraham]

Remove helmets and visors

 

[Golden_Jet]

The commercials with both Matthews and McDavid are sure getting a lot of air time