The National Hockey League has launched NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week, a first of its kind 30-minute animated program that recaps an NHL regular-season matchup from the prior week in a fun, youth-centric way. The program airs on Sportsnet in Canada and NHL Network in the U.S. The Hockeyverse Matchup brings young viewers into an animated world where NHL Player avatars, powered by NHL Edge Positional Data, create a realistic visualization of the on-ice action.
The next episode features a recap of the the matchup of the Maple Leafs-Oilers game. The show airs Saturday mornings at 9 am ET on NHL Network (re-airing at 12 pm ET), on Sportsnet at 12 pm ET and globally on the NHL YouTube channel.
No program sponsor has been signed yet but there is potential for NHL partners to be integrated into future shows. NHL has received positive feedback from both fans and corporate partners since the Feb. 1 launch of the program and the League is in active discussions about potential sponsorship opportunities on rink boards, via signage/products within the animated environment, and through custom production/story segments.
The family-friendly show is one of the ways that the NHL is using to bring young fans to the NHL. Rather than staging the game in a traditional NHL arena, the Hockeyverse Matchup takes place in an animated outdoor environment using gaming-like visuals and visual effects. Teenaged commentators appear as animated avatars to call the action, share insights, fun facts, and more in-depth NHL stories.
David Lehanski, NHL EVP, Business Development & Innovation, says the NHL is focused on a youthful audience right now and leveraging the animated format, but there are plans to start to expand and maybe even age up a little bit in the targeting.
“By using avatars, vibrant animations and youthful commentary, NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week will further connect young fans and families to the NHL and build upon the League’s recent national and local animated telecast successes.”
NHL Hockeyverse Matchup of the Week is produced by NHL Productions, in collaboration with Sony’s Beyond Sports.
