NHL considers changes to digital ad boards after fan criticisms

[sawchuk1971]

too bad the NHL is not listening to the fanbase...its kinda like f*** you fans! we are gonna do our thing our way!!!!

NHL considering changes to digital ad boards

The NHL is considering changes to its digitally enhanced dasherboards (DED) after fan criticisms during their debut season.

www.espn.com

The NHL is considering changes to its digitally enhanced dasherboards (DED) after fan criticisms during their debut season.

DED technology allows for the digital replacement of camera-visible arena ads on local, national and international broadcasts. The digital boards allow broadcasts to constantly change which advertisers appear. Ads are sold like commercials, with brands buying 30-second increments, based on the game clock.

The digital ads faced criticism from fans during the first year for everything from technical glitches to disruptive artificiality to the way some moving advertisements detracted from ongoing play.

While the NHL is contemplating some of those critiques, the league said it believes most viewers have grown comfortable with the digital ad boards. The NHL said it has heard feedback that the technology actually makes hockey easier to watch on television.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

The NHL gaslighting its fans never ceases to amaze me.

"There's plenty of folks that think it's a much better viewing experience to watch the game," said Keith Wachtel, the NHL's chief business officer and executive vice president of global partnerships.

"The overwhelming sentiment was that the cleanliness of the boards is less jarring for the viewership. That it blends in more. Other than when [the ads] might change where people notice it, the prevailing thought is that they're kind of in the background," he said.

 

[njdevils1982]

big brother level propaganda

 

[Profet]

The NHL said it has heard feedback that the technology actually makes hockey easier to watch on television.

 

[MikeyMike01]

You would never see this kind of embarrassing garbage in a respectable league

 

[ijuka]

They should stop the digital ad animations during play. Tracking the puck is difficult enough, and it's not made any easier by some weird animations pulling your attention away. What's wrong with having no animations during play? Have those during faceoff preparations or something.

 

[VanillaCoke]

The more ads the less I'll watch

 

[biturbo19]

NHL "considering" fan feedback and changes to the annoying ass (DED) digital board ads like...

 

[PK Cronin]

The NHL gaslighting its fans never ceases to amaze me.

This part was my favorite:

Other than when [the ads] might change where people notice it, the prevailing thought is that they're kind of in the background

They change constantly and also have additional animations sometimes that create issues. I don't need things scrolling horizontally while I'm trying to watch players and the puck that also move in the same direction. It wouldn't be half as bad if they just changed the ads whenever there was a stoppage or something but they insist on doing it during the actual play.

 

[TheNumber4]

More NHL lies. Yeh, just so much easier to see the play when a player’s lower body phases into the boards like the Manhattan project. This is what all fans want to see. This is what improves our viewing experience.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The people in charge of marketing for the NHL seem like the type who'd send out surveys to a 100 households, then throw out all the ones that come back with negative responses and only talk about the positive ones.

 

[MS]

The NHL gaslighting its fans never ceases to amaze me.

That's some Iraqi Information Minister type shit right there. Holy smoke.

It's awful to look at, but also as a fan I don't want to see Vancouver ads when I'm watching a game in NYC. I like the familiar Modell's ads. I want the different advertising in different rinks to make things feel different, not a whitewashed sameness every night.

 

[Bombshell11]

No one is forced to watch NHL games, let alone pay to watch them.

Specially if they go againts your views

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

No one is forced to watch NHL games, let alone pay to watch them.

Specially if they go againts your views

What's it like working in the NHL marketing department?

 

[AKL]

What's it like working in the NHL marketing department?

The NHL has a marketing department?


Personally I'm anticipating digital ads on the players within 5 years.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

You would never see this kind of embarrassing garbage in a respectable league

eh, ill deal with digital ads and other slight nuisances

the EPL is a respectable league and is going through it right now with ownership groups buying teams to put them under, committing human rights violations, and sometimes just skipping the bill entirely!

not all money is good money! id rather do silly things like this and gambling ads rather than begin to let random owners come in with horrible intentions, just to save face on small annoyances

 

[Oddbob]

The NHL gaslighting its fans never ceases to amaze me.

Not one single fan, said they enjoyed them or thought the experience is better! What a load of UTTER BULLSHIT!

If they have to be there, there should be ZERO change of ads or moving parts in ads during actual game play.

The NHL has a marketing department?


Personally I'm anticipating digital ads on the players within 5 years.

You optimist you! It will be here in 3.

No one is forced to watch NHL games, let alone pay to watch them.

Specially if they go againts your views

This post is as dumb as it gets. You must be the Keith guy in the story.

 

[biturbo19]

eh, ill deal with digital ads and other slight nuisances

the EPL is a respectable league and is going through it right now with ownership groups buying teams to put them under, committing human rights violations, and sometimes just skipping the bill entirely!

not all money is good money! id rather do silly things like this and gambling ads rather than begin to let random owners come in with horrible intentions, just to save face on small annoyances

It doesn't have to be either of these scenarios though.

Saying it's either constant relentless advertising scope creep, or crooked dealings and human rights violations is imposing a false dichotomy on the situation.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

The NHL gaslighting its fans never ceases to amaze me.

What an utter fool, even if speaking for the NHL. That tone deserves a new line of work.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Gary, the digital ads make for a first-class experience. They’re even better with a refreshing Michelob Ultra (only 90 calories) and an Enterprise rental car, the official rental car provider of the NHL.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

It doesn't have to be either of these scenarios though.

Saying it's either constant relentless advertising scope creep, or crooked dealings and human rights violations is imposing a false dichotomy on the situation.

welcome to capitalism! where the only question is; does it make more money?

only four or five professional stadiums/arenas in the country have affordably-priced food at games; were quite a ways away from whats best for the fans, kind sir

 

[AvroArrow]

The people in charge of marketing for the NHL seem like the type who'd send out surveys to a 100 households, then throw out all the ones that come back with negative responses and only talk about the positive ones.

Then there's the people who insist that marketing makes no difference and NHL is just gonna always NHL because it's the NHL

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I was studying animation at Art School back in 1996.

One of the first lessons David Burgess (animation Director at Disney) taught us, was how Roger Rabbit was the worst animated character ever, because he was always moving.

Even when other characters were trying to give emotional lines, or deliver important story beats, Roger Rabbit was always drawing attention away from what SHOULD have been the focus.

The absolute trainwreck was replicated again with Jar Jar Binks.


Animated ads are the worst because it draws attention away from what should be focused on. Telling us we like them is akin to George Lucas trying to tell us we like Jar Jar Binks.

 

[MikeyMike01]

That's some Iraqi Information Minister type shit right there. Holy smoke.

It's awful to look at, but also as a fan I don't want to see Vancouver ads when I'm watching a game in NYC. I like the familiar Modell's ads. I want the different advertising in different rinks to make things feel different, not a whitewashed sameness every night.

Modell’s went out of business

 

[Lshap]

Interesting that the NHL felt it needed to put out a story justifying these ads. The only thing worse than the ads themselves is the sad attempt to pretend it's for our good.

In one season they've forced jersey ads, animated board ads and online gambling ads down our throats. They know we hate it, they just don't care. I really don't know how much more tacky this league can become...