How Oilers are selling out game watching party at arena

[LadyStanley]

Showing game on center display and superimposed with player tracking on ice.

Click to read more...

 

[Drytoast]

It's cool and would be nice if more teams could do this, but it's more of a statement that the arena isn't rented out for other venues like a concert or basketball or something.

It's really just an empty arena every single time they play on the road?!

 

[Pucklington]

It's cool and would be nice if more teams could do this, but it's more of a statement that the arena isn't rented out for other venues like a concert or basketball or something.

It's really just an empty arena every single time they play on the road?!

It's pretty booked, but they do this every playoff run because it is great revenue. They own the building.

The 5050 still gets to 500,000-1mln for these, if not higher.

 

[BMN]

It's cool and would be nice if more teams could do this, but it's more of a statement that the arena isn't rented out for other venues like a concert or basketball or something.

It's really just an empty arena every single time they play on the road?!

AEW was there during Game1 if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Drytoast]

AEW was there during Game1 if I'm not mistaken.

I'm not saying it's not booked but most hockey arenas in big markets are booked non stop. when the team is away, there is something going on in that arena. Either a basketball team is in there a concert or other.

Not every market can do this.

 

[archangel2]

Vancouver has it under consideration

 

[Yukon Joe]

So I went to the Oilers watch party with my kids during round 1. There were no watch parties in the rink so far for round 2 due to AEW Wrestling and Foreigner on the two dates (for all the haters out there who say nobody comes to Edmonton). There were watch parties outside.

Going back to the substance of the article...

The player positions on the ice was interesting, but at the watch party everyone was just watching the jumbotron. It's impossible to get engaged with just vague shapes being projected onto the ice.

 

[Headshot77]

Pittsburgh did this when they were winning back to backs. I watched them win the cup in 2017 while in the arena despite it being a home game. Pretty cool experience ngl. It was like $10-15 to get in and they blared the goal horns and had some music as if it was a game there.

 

[JianYang]

In arena viewing has been around for decades, so nothing new there.

What is new is that player positioning thing they have on the ice. I mean, it kinda looks neat, but it doesn"t seem very practical. I'll be watching the big screen, not watching a bunch of dots on the ice.

 

[Stumbledore]

In arena viewing has been around for decades, so nothing new there.

What is new is that player positioning thing they have on the ice. I mean, it kinda looks neat, but it doesn"t seem very practical. I'll be watching the big screen, not watching a bunch of dots on the ice.

Looks neat? I can get the same effect by staring into the sun for too long or rubbing my eyes too hard.

 

[JianYang]

Looks neat? I can get the same effect by staring into the sun for too long or rubbing my eyes too hard.

I'm trying to be nice. It doesn't do anything for me and like I said, it doesn't seem very practical.

 

[HolyGhost]

oilers know they do not have much more of a chance to get free money off of the fans so they have to do this

 

[joestevens29]

oilers know they do not have much more of a chance to get free money off of the fans so they have to do this

Free money or not it still ends up generating some extra funds for local charities. 50-50 for some reason continues to generate piles of money.

 

[sneakytitz]

At this rate, one day they'll be able to do this with holograms and it'll almost be like being at the away game.

 

[Lacaar]

So I went to the Oilers watch party with my kids during round 1. There were no watch parties in the rink so far for round 2 due to AEW Wrestling and Foreigner on the two dates (for all the haters out there who say nobody comes to Edmonton). There were watch parties outside.

I've always thought when it comes to these boards as soon as someone puts down a city you know their emotional intelligence is lacking. Whether it's direct or via innuendo like that poster tried. Some people can't handle anything neat or positive about another place or team.

 

[Chet Manley]

Someday those dots on the ice will be holograms or some other technological recreations of remote events. But this is a cool early step.

 

[Confucius]

Someday those dots on the ice will be holograms or some other technological recreations of remote events. But this is a cool early step.

I would think it is possible to project a game on the ice surface. Considering what technology is capable of, I’d be surprised it couldn’t be done.

 

[JAK]

I would think it is possible to project a game on the ice surface. Considering what technology is capable of, I’d be surprised it couldn’t be done.

Broadcasting rights might be the issue if we ever get past the technology hurdle.

 

[Confucius]

Broadcasting rights might be the issue if we ever get past the technology hurdle.

A few years ago, Leafs used to broadcast a few games at selected movie theatres. Projecting on an ice surface seems only a little more complicated. As for broadcast rights, for sure everyone will have to get their cut. lol!

 

[OddyOh]

Someday those dots on the ice will be holograms or some other technological recreations of remote events. But this is a cool early step.

They need to map the player models from NHL 94 onto the tracking icons.

 

[Yukon Joe]

A few years ago, Leafs used to broadcast a few games at selected movie theatres. Projecting on an ice surface seems only a little more complicated. As for broadcast rights, for sure everyone will have to get their cut. lol!

Taking an image already being broadcast on TV, and putting it onto a movie screen (or onto the arena jumbotron) is trivially easy.

Taking the locations of the players, and then projecting those positions, directly onto the ice surface to reflect where those players are is much more interesting, technically speaking. But at least so far it's just not a very exciting visual experience. Watching a blue circle with a number 97 move around the ice did nothing for me.

If you can get to a kind of hologram-like presentation that could be a game-changer.

 

[Confucius]

Taking an image already being broadcast on TV, and putting it onto a movie screen (or onto the arena jumbotron) is trivially easy.

Taking the locations of the players, and then projecting those positions, directly onto the ice surface to reflect where those players are is much more interesting, technically speaking. But at least so far it's just not a very exciting visual experience. Watching a blue circle with a number 97 move around the ice did nothing for me.

If you can get to a kind of hologram-like presentation that could be a game-changer.

You would only need 2 or 3 overhead cameras the ice surfaces are the same size and as you say just projecting the recording is easy peasy. You’d be watching the actual game on your ice surface. Not ideal but at least you would be seeing the tops of the actual players as opposed to circles.

 

[Yukon Joe]

You would only need 2 or 3 overhead cameras the ice surfaces are the same size and as you say just projecting the recording is easy peasy. You’d be watching the actual game on your ice surface. Not ideal but at least you would be seeing the tops of the actual players as opposed to circles.

Not sure that would be much more interesting to be honest - what a weird angle to be watching from? I mean even up in the press box you're still getting part of a side angle.