Your Ideas for TV Marketability in the NHL

[HF2002]

Based on comments in the "take hints from NASCAR" thread, I'm curious to see what ideas people might have that might make the game more tv friendly for new/casual fans while at the same time be interesting enough for the fans who already understand the game.

These are just ideas thrown out there (some are things that I might find interesting). Nothing more, nothing less.

1) They could introduce the players in a similar fashion that the NFL does. Instead of just listing the names of players, add their photo. No helmets allowed in these pictures, the player can say which country he's from, his junior/college team, and perhaps his position. They could just list one or two things, it doesn't have to be all of these.

2) This one's more for the casual fan... One idea in the NASCAR thread is to briefly flash the names of the players when they're on the ice but like another poster suggested, do it only during stoppages in play. They have their names appear over them briefly.

or

For the more knowledgeable fans... just the names of who's on the ice appears in a sort of drop down list - briefly - as players head out for the face offs.

3) Use the only redeeming part of the Foxpuck technology. Show us the speed of the shot - nothing else! No glowing trails of smoke, no explosions if there's a goal, no animated fireworks, and for gods sake no robots punching each other. The radar gun can register on the screen (perhaps under the score and timer already on the screen) for 2 or 3 seconds.

4) This is one simply for the (personal) interest of statistical breakdowns of teams and players. Keep track of the skating (if the technology allows it). They could be displayed during intermission only. Some ideas:

- let us know which team had the higher average speed
- who are the consistently fast players in real hockey conditions?
- how far the individual players skated during the game

5) if they're going to change the camera angles, the one I'd like to see is the angle from the point on the PP, not just from behind the net. They may already have it, so this may be a moot point.


These are just ideas, and may or may not be good ones. If you have some ideas, please share! And to answer the inevitable question, I don't work for the NHL marketing indivi...uh.. team.

Click to read more...

 

[Weary]

1. Make sure players' numbers and nameplates are visible on TV. This is so ridiculously obvious, but the league has approved a number of suspect jersey designs. The worst being the Capitals unreadable black jerseys.

2. Tap into the wiring of the goal light so viewers know a goal has been scored before the players start celebrating.

3. Bring Fox back as the league's broadcaster. People may have hated some of the things Fox did, but they actually seemed to care about the sport.

 

[Wetcoaster]

John Moag, head of the sports investment banking firm, Moag and Company in his June 2004 NHL report touched on this issue.

He believes that HDTV will likely enhance the watchability of hockey. Several other commentators have said the same thing pointing out with wider shots and increased screen resolution hockey will be more easily understood by people who have not grown up with the game as well as making it easier to follow the puck. Moag also recommends that the NHL needs to bring more of the "rink experience" into the television milieu.

On the issue of revenue growth, allow us a couple thoughts on television. There is no doubt that hockey is a sport that is enjoyed more in person than it is on the television. Much has been said about the upside the NHL will reap from High Definition Television (HDTV) as a result of the clarity and the ability to see the puck that such broadcasts will provide. Maybe, but the networks need to do more to improve the delivery of the product. Why can’t we enjoy the sound of the skates, the roar of the crowds, and the crashes into the boards? If the networks would devote the resources to better mimic the in-venue experience, we believe ratings would improve.

 

[futurcorerock]

Based on comments in the "take hints from NASCAR" thread, I'm curious to see what ideas people might have that might make the game more tv friendly for new/casual fans while at the same time be interesting enough for the fans who already understand the game.

These are just ideas thrown out there (some are things that I might find interesting). Nothing more, nothing less.

1) They could introduce the players in a similar fashion that the NFL does. Instead of just listing the names of players, add their photo. No helmets allowed in these pictures, the player can say which country he's from, his junior/college team, and perhaps his position. They could just list one or two things, it doesn't have to be all of these.

2) This one's more for the casual fan... One idea in the NASCAR thread is to briefly flash the names of the players when they're on the ice but like another poster suggested, do it only during stoppages in play. They have their names appear over them briefly.

or

For the more knowledgeable fans... just the names of who's on the ice appears in a sort of drop down list - briefly - as players head out for the face offs.

3) Use the only redeeming part of the Foxpuck technology. Show us the speed of the shot - nothing else! No glowing trails of smoke, no explosions if there's a goal, no animated fireworks, and for gods sake no robots punching each other. The radar gun can register on the screen (perhaps under the score and timer already on the screen) for 2 or 3 seconds.

4) This is one simply for the (personal) interest of statistical breakdowns of teams and players. Keep track of the skating (if the technology allows it). They could be displayed during intermission only. Some ideas:

- let us know which team had the higher average speed
- who are the consistently fast players in real hockey conditions?
- how far the individual players skated during the game

5) if they're going to change the camera angles, the one I'd like to see is the angle from the point on the PP, not just from behind the net. They may already have it, so this may be a moot point.


These are just ideas, and may or may not be good ones. If you have some ideas, please share! And to answer the inevitable question, I don't work for the NHL marketing indivi...uh.. team.

I'm throwing my two cents out here on this.

1) This came from ESPN NHL 2k5. The ESPN broadcast features cutaways to individual players, a bracket with their stats and a video feed of them standing on the ice

2) I absolutely love the idea of the powerplay camera. A great way to use this would be to put a camera on a wire a-la NFL and then have them put it behind the two Dmen overlooking the offensive zone for the powerplay unit. This would give an absolutely phenomenal look of the PP and PK for each team for the viewer to analyze what exactly goes on during said time.

Also, you could integrate the camera to follow the play into the boards, I can see an overhead camera looking in on what is going on in a huddle of players pinned on the boards to see where the puck goes. You could even have the cameras follow the action when there is a clear or also on the short side of the boards, where i've heard most non-fans complain about not seeing the puck.

3) Integrate a more statistical breakdown into the game is also another spot-on idea for the game. Have pull-ups live on the ice between breaks in the action to show which zone has seen more shots, how the shots have been taken. This is similar to how the NFL shows its pass completion on the field in terms of fractions. This is used in the 2k5 videogame as well.

on a side note, i love the idea of pull-up introductions about players and their history. It's just as important to College Football and Basketball fans where a particular player has come from in terms of Juniors, NCAA, and Super Leagues in Europe. Infact, i'd go as far as to say its even more so important, because the type of league a player in may dictate the type of player he is. Great goaltending comes from the Q, WHL has bangin' D men, and ofcourse the RSL is well-known for its high-scoring players.

I think we should rename this thread to something more suited like.. : Your Ideas for TV Marketability in the NHL

 

[me2]

Ever wondered why a goalie never moved on a shot? Too fast to react, screened? Coming soon to an NHL rink near you for EVERY game: Goalie cam. Mount a little mini camera on the helmet, some of those little cameras are so light most player wouldn't realise they were wearning them. Only need one battery, max time it has to last is 20 mins.

Wireless broadcast the footage. How cool would that be. Be the goalie vs a Pavel Bure breakaway. Be goalie vs the redwings PP. See the blood fly as Cloutier pounds Salo. See Broduer adjust his cup. See the lady pressed up against the glass that keeps distracting Potvin.

 

[HF2002]

I think we should rename this thread to something more suited like.. : Your Ideas for TV Marketability in the NHL

Definetly a better title.

 

[kdb209]

John Moag, head of the sports investment banking firm, Moag and Company in his June 2004 NHL report touched on this issue.

He believes that HDTV will likely enhance the watchability of hockey. Several other commentators have said the same thing pointing out with wider shots and increased screen resolution hockey will be more easily understood by people who have not grown up with the game as well as making it easier to follow the puck. Moag also recommends that the NHL needs to bring more of the "rink experience" into the television milieu.

Let me second the vote for HDTV. Even with relatively stationary camera angles, it blows away normal standard definition broadcasts - you can easily follow the puck and the wider screen lets you see more of the ice as the play develops.

Last year while shopping at Magnolia HiFi (A high end AV chain), my wife (not a big fan, especially on TV) was shocked watching an ESPN-HD broadcast - "O my god, I can actually see the puck".

 

[Gary Buttman]

Yes, FOX does great sports coverage, and all in HDTV now. THey would be absolutely perfect; ABC was terrible compared to FOX...actually ABC was just terrible.

 

[tujague]

Ever wondered why a goalie never moved on a shot? Too fast to react, screened? Coming soon to an NHL rink near you for EVERY game: Goalie cam. Mount a little mini camera on the helmet, some of those little cameras are so light most player wouldn't realise they were wearning them. Only need one battery, max time it has to last is 20 mins.

Wireless broadcast the footage. How cool would that be. Be the goalie vs a Pavel Bure breakaway. Be goalie vs the redwings PP. See the blood fly as Cloutier pounds Salo. See Broduer adjust his cup. See the lady pressed up against the glass that keeps distracting Potvin.

This is apparently in the works. The NHL ran a test with a Goalie Cam with MAF and the Baby Penguins. The camera is below his chin. I don't know if they can broadcast this during live play, but it's still pretty cool.

Link

 

[Robert Paulson*]

Ever wondered why a goalie never moved on a shot? Too fast to react, screened? Coming soon to an NHL rink near you for EVERY game: Goalie cam. Mount a little mini camera on the helmet, some of those little cameras are so light most player wouldn't realise they were wearning them. Only need one battery, max time it has to last is 20 mins.

Wireless broadcast the footage. How cool would that be. Be the goalie vs a Pavel Bure breakaway. Be goalie vs the redwings PP. See the blood fly as Cloutier pounds Salo. See Broduer adjust his cup. See the lady pressed up against the glass that keeps distracting Potvin.

Fleury did that once this year for an AHL game. I think the camera weighs 6 ounces, which is nothing really.

EDIT: lol... thats what happens when I leave a reply open for a half hour.

 

[futurcorerock]

This is apparently in the works. The NHL ran a test with a Goalie Cam with MAF and the Baby Penguins. The camera is below his chin. I don't know if they can broadcast this during live play, but it's still pretty cool.

Link

I remember when that was first posted... BEAUTIFUL camera to explore.

 

[mooseOAK*]

More fighting!

 

[Pure Rock Fury*]

There's one solution that would make it the number one sport in the US immediately:

Find a way to make most americans less stupid.


I didn't say it was going to be easy.

 

[PredsFan77*]

More fighting!

bingo

 

[HckyFght*]

You must put a camera in each zone of the ice. This has been shot down by owners for decades because they dont want to lose the precious lower box seats, and this typical shortsightedness has been holding the league back forever...In the early days of NFL and MLB broadcasting the camera above the 50 yeardline or high above home plate made the games so one dimensional that the first thing networks did when they wanted to up viewership was cover the entire field of play visually. But hockey said no. All the innovations they've tried and all the innovations they propose are all to compensate for the fact that each zone of the ice isn't covered. It's cost them, in the long run, much more than the 25 seats or so in each zone they would have given up, and should have forfieted a long time ago. I REPEAT, PUT A CAMERA IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE, A CAMERA IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE, AND A CAMERA IN THE DEFENSIVE ZONE AND BINGO! PROBLEM SOLVED.
-HckyFght
P.S. Having announcers instruct viewers on the fundamentals of the game like they do in all three other sports is not "insulting to fans" as Canadian broadcasters tell us all the time, but actually helps fans. In Canada, most guys watching actually played at one time or another, but even they could use a little boning up on history and fundamentals, not to mention women and kids in the audience. And for cripes sakes! In the States, get some freakin Americans doing the games!

 

[me2]

This is apparently in the works. The NHL ran a test with a Goalie Cam with MAF and the Baby Penguins. The camera is below his chin. I don't know if they can broadcast this during live play, but it's still pretty cool.

Link

Some of those shots were great.

 

[futurcorerock]

It sounds like these changes may be more progressive than radical.

I'll tell you though... threads like these are helping me cope with the fact that there will be no NHL hockey this season. I'm pumped to see the NHLers in their new sleek Reebok jerseys and seeing them in crisp action on HDTV.

It's got me excited about the game again and excited that the game is going to rebound in ways that couldnt be fathomed by pessimistic analysts. In due time we're going to make a big run at NASCAR and supplant them in all our mighty glory.

Like it or not, it might take a dynasty in an untraditional market like Pheonix or Tampa Bay to get the NHL in America ball rolling again.

And i think all of you should be excited too.

 

[Balej20*]

One thing that's bothered me for years is the price of the NHL Jersey's. Wayyy too expensive, even if you want just a blank jersey... and don't even think about buying a jersey with a name on it. Let's try to cut these prices down a bit, so kids can wear hockey jersey's as much as they wear cheap basketball jerseys or football jerseys

 

[futurcorerock]

One thing that's bothered me for years is the price of the NHL Jersey's. Wayyy too expensive, even if you want just a blank jersey... and don't even think about buying a jersey with a name on it. Let's try to cut these prices down a bit, so kids can wear hockey jersey's as much as they wear cheap basketball jerseys or football jerseys

Maybe that'll change if Rbk will be manufacturing the new "sleek" jerseys?

 

[Balej20*]

Maybe that'll change if Rbk will be manufacturing the new "sleek" jerseys?

i was thinking that too. Hopefully, i think thats key. We need to sell more jerseys

 

[futurcorerock]

i was thinking that too. Hopefully, i think thats key. We need to sell more jerseys

The only thing about pricing of jerseys now, is that they are incredibly nice. I cherish my Jackets third jersey and its worth more than any crappy NFL jersey.

 

[Balej20*]

The only thing about pricing of jerseys now, is that they are incredibly nice. I cherish my Jackets third jersey and its worth more than any crappy NFL jersey.

no doubt, they are they nicest made jersey's by far out of any sport. But still, it's imporant to sell Jerseys

 

[Hoek]

Bring back Fox Trax technology, not just for the speed of shots, but again to shadow the puck and make it seem a little bigger. NO COMETS. NO SILLY COLORS AND CRAP. Just a simple shadow slightly larger than the actual puck, just like the video games do. HDTV is still a long ways from having an impact, but a more subtle use of the technology would do wonders without looking ridiculous, IMO.

I also like the idea of putting two more cameras for each zone and most of the other stuff mentioned already in this thread.

They could also CGI color the different zones of the ice to show where most of the play has occurred during stoppages. That way you get an idea of which way the ice is "tilting." Or show where the shots have come from like they do on CBS Sportsline and on video games, X's for saves O's for goals.

 

[Pure Rock Fury*]

Hey Hoek, are you a FOX exec?

 

[Balej20*]

Hey Hoek, are you a FOX exec?

lol