The NHL is testing new virtual signage in broadcasts to improve out-of-market advertising
Imagine watching a game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers in Philly- and seeing advertisements for NESN.
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Seem crazy? It’s becoming more common- 17 NHL teams are already getting a chance to implement these virtual advertisements in their dasherboards, above the scores.
These new ads, which will cater to the away crowd as much as to the home team crowd, may be pricier- but they could bring in more revenue for the league as a whole. These ‘virtual’ graphics will go above the current scores on the arena dasherboards, and will cost much more for the advertisers- but they’ll get a chance to reach out to their local crowd during more games every year.
"“Supponor, a European company whose history dates to 2000, is testing its DBR (digital billboard replacement) virtual advertising system with the league — and it did so as recently as Oct. 3 at the Prudential Center in Newark. The system also has been tested at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., home of the AHL Hartford Wolfpack.”"
The technology isn’t perfect, but it’s something that the league could be implementing permanently as soon as the 2015-2016 season. This could be revolutionary for the league, as growing numbers of out-of-market fans are gaining access to the games through Center Ice television and NHL GameCenter mobile subscriptions. Fans can now view any out-of-market game that’s being broadcast anywhere at all through these programs- so advertisers will want to reach out to these fans who are catching every game, whether it’s being played in their city or not.
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