NHL is putting more ads on the ice surface

[HisIceness]

As someone that watches the AHL, I can say with certainty that you really stop noticing the ads in the corners pretty quickly

Yep, I remember the first Checkers AHL game I went to. I remember commenting to my friends who were also present at the ECHL games that there were less ads on the ice, and that was a good thing. I payed zero attention to the corner ads.

Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly take pleasure in this news but as others have said it's better than on the jerseys.

 

[berklon]

The question is, where does it end? Once the ice and uniforms are all just advertising and you can't see nothing but ads, they'll still need more money because they always do. I guess they can make the players wear advertising decals on their faces but at some point there'll be no ad space left.

It will end at some point, but there's still a ways to go.
People asked the same question when they were discussing allowing ads on the boards.

They do in a way. For example, there are some North American fans who won't watch games from Europe because of all the ads on the uniforms and ice surface. There's a risk to the NHL that those same fans will stop watching altogether because of all the ads (mind pollution). However, it's unlikely that new fans are going to choose to watch hockey for the ads.

Right, but they're not watching based on principle... it has nothing to do with it effecting the entertainment value.
The viewing quality (in person or on TV) remains the same whether there are ads on the sweater or ice.

 

[Pens x]

I fully expect that the new arena Melnyk wants to build in Ottawa will look something like this

They’d be lucky to find that many sponsors.

 

[BattleBorn]

The general way I always look at it is the people whose job it is to market/sell stuff are also going to be good at selling companies that their services are highly valuable. I mean outside of the basic psychology principal I can't see how spending millions to put your company name on a little spot of ice or a patch on a jersey will convince enough people to buy something to make the cost worthwhile, but if you work in marketing you have a heavily vested interest in making sure all your research material shows this is exactly what happens.

It's easy to blame the marketing people for doing their job, but the people selling are almost always the culprits when it comes to stuff like this.

Can't blame Geico for having 50 commercials a game, blame the league and networks for making that much inventory in the first place.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Serious question. Do you have any idea where these ads are going? Because this is the least obstructive place on the ice for ads to be. It has absolutely no effect on the viewer watching on TV or the viewer at the game.

Of course it has an absolute effect. More clutter = more mess & distraction, that's about as constant as it gets. The whole point of the ads is to get people to look at them, so even if it's marginal by itself it's piling on top of all the other ads on the boards (including the new bright neon lit ones), projected on the glass, the ones that have replaced front row seats, the ads on the ice in the neutral zone, etc. NHL arenas are already a complete junkyard compared to that beautiful clip someone posted and the NHL has no intention of trying to clean up that presentation. If you're at an arena in person then you now also have a view obstructed by netting around half the lower bowl, and also get assaulted by ear splitting ads over the speakers at any stoppage. They have zero respect for the aesthetic merit of their product and brand, will sell out every single piece of it for a few short term bucks. Pathetic.

 

[powerstuck]

I still struggle to understand how these turn into profit for the company being advertised. I'm certainly not the only one that a) doesn't need to see Pepsi / Coke on TV or ice or billboard to go and buy it nor am I influenced more in acquiring Canon copiers instead of Xerox because I saw the ad for one on the ice of an NHL game.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I still struggle to understand how these turn into profit for the company being advertised. I'm certainly not the only one that a) doesn't need to see Pepsi / Coke on TV or ice or billboard to go and buy it nor am I influenced more in acquiring Canon copiers instead of Xerox because I saw the ad for one on the ice of an NHL game.

I don't want to get into advertising theory (because I know enough to know I don't know all that much), but its not that simple. Ads happen for many different reasons.

 

[royals119]

I still struggle to understand how these turn into profit for the company being advertised. I'm certainly not the only one that a) doesn't need to see Pepsi / Coke on TV or ice or billboard to go and buy it nor am I influenced more in acquiring Canon copiers instead of Xerox because I saw the ad for one on the ice of an NHL game.

Maybe not consciously, but there is a value in keeping your brand in people's consciousness on a regular basis.

I'm a STH for my local minor league team, and when I'm making purchasing decisions I do take into consideration who is a sponsor of the team. If I have a choice between two dentists or two car dealers with good reputations and similar costs, I'll chose the one who is a sponsor, and I'll let them know that factored into my choice. At this level sponsorships can make or break a team, and most of the sponsors are local companies where an individual customer can actually give feedback to a decision maker. At the NHL level it is just more millions going to billionaires, and your purchase probably isn't moving the needle anyway, so I don't think people really factor that into their everyday decisions in a conscious way.

 

[cbcwpg]

I still struggle to understand how these turn into profit for the company being advertised. I'm certainly not the only one that a) doesn't need to see Pepsi / Coke on TV or ice or billboard to go and buy it nor am I influenced more in acquiring Canon copiers instead of Xerox because I saw the ad for one on the ice of an NHL game.

JMO, but advertising is and was done because in theory it works for the majority of people. Not everyone, but the majority. Or so the advertisers must think or they wouldn't do it, I guess. Get your brand into people's heads and it stays there is the idea.

The name on the building, sure I can remember that, but if you asked me to name the advertisers that placed ads in the Bell MTS Place this past season on the boards or on the ice... I can't name one.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Of course it has an absolute effect. More clutter = more mess & distraction, that's about as constant as it gets.

There. Is. No. Clutter. Nobody is even going to notice these. If they just put these ads on the ice without saying anything would anyone even notice or make a big deal about it? No.

 

[blood gin]

Stop polluting the ice surface. Show some god damn restraint. It's an eyesore.

 

[blood gin]

There. Is. No. Clutter. Nobody is even going to notice these. If they just put these ads on the ice without saying anything would anyone even notice or make a big deal about it? No.

I notice and it's a nuisance. Look how crisp and beautiful old games are with clean ice and boards. European hockey is a total joke and unwatchable because of the advertising overkill. It looks like everything is dressed up in a clownsuit

 

[blood gin]

As long as they're not on the jerseys I am not even mad about it.

They will be on the jerseys too.

 

[powerstuck]

Maybe not consciously, but there is a value in keeping your brand in people's consciousness on a regular basis.

I'm a STH for my local minor league team, and when I'm making purchasing decisions I do take into consideration who is a sponsor of the team. If I have a choice between two dentists or two car dealers with good reputations and similar costs, I'll chose the one who is a sponsor, and I'll let them know that factored into my choice. At this level sponsorships can make or break a team, and most of the sponsors are local companies where an individual customer can actually give feedback to a decision maker. At the NHL level it is just more millions going to billionaires, and your purchase probably isn't moving the needle anyway, so I don't think people really factor that into their everyday decisions in a conscious way.

I guess I may be weird then. Because when I purchased my brand new car in last July I went to all 6 dealerships in the area. In the end, I chose the one that saves me 7$ every two weeks on the term. But even if all 6 ended up with exactly the same price, in 2nd criteria I would chose the one that's more practical for me for the check-ups/repairs in terms of home/work proximity. And even if one of the 6 was advertising for the junior team in town...I can't honestly say that would ended up being a choice criteria.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

I notice and it's a nuisance.

I recommend paying more attention to the game then.

 

[blood gin]

I recommend paying more attention to the game then.

Well then they should have a clean sheet of ice and clean boards to not obstruct the actual product for the viewers.

Where do you draw the line with ads?

 

[blood gin]

I have to agree... they are both ugly, but it's the lesser of two evils.

This...

or this....

Fully expect ads in the faceoff circles one day.

You don't seem to understand. Unless somebody somewhere draws the line we're going to end up with both as they creep in little by little as morons constantly tell us "it's fine, it's not a problem, they'll stop here I promise"

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Where do you draw the line with ads?

I'm used to this (without the green and yellow circles) and if the NHL ever decided to go that far, I'd be okay with it.

 

[Fenway]

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

They will be on the jerseys too.

Just practice jerseys as far as I know.

 

[blood gin]

Just practice jerseys as far as I know.

And the jerseys they wear during the games. Why would they stop?

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Ads will eventually go on jerseys. That's inevitable.

 

[Dingo44]

I hate how the NHL owns the boards during the playoffs. I'm weird but I hate seeing Pepsi ads - especially in arenas that serve Coke. Screw them.

 

[sawchuk1971]

Ads will eventually go on jerseys. That's inevitable.

yeah...especially if they can't get that next so called lucrative US TV deal in 2021....

 

[karnige]

yeah...especially if they can't get that next so called lucrative US TV deal in 2021....

well the NHL is a gate driven league and has done well. its not like baseball where attendance and tv ratings are the lowest 15 years. but their TV contract is worth billions. eventually baseball will die as 2/3rds of teams are hemorrhaging cash. if it wasnt for the tv contract they would be toast.