How the NHL is attracting Gen Z fans with new marketing platforms

Executives of the NHL are careful not to suggest the young players in the league today are any better than those of a generation ago, but there’s little question as to who’s playing the better game. “We have a saying—the business sits in the wake of the game on the ice. And the game on the ice has never been better,” said Brian Jennings, NHL senior executive VP and chief brand officer. “The skill that’s on display nightly is off the charts.” Read about all of the 2024 Marketers of the Year The improved gameplay, which can be traced to new strategy and training combined with rules adjustments (goalie equipment is smaller, interference penalties are more strictly enforced), has birthed a brand of hockey marked by speed, skating and hitting—“more excitement per minute than any other sport,” Jennings insists. Scoring is up, attracting more viewers, live and on broadcasts. The 2023-24 NHL season set an all-time league record for total attendance in a single season with 22.87 million fans—with arenas at 97% capacity. TV ratings were the highest since the 2015-16 season, and the NHL also experienced its most-watched Stanley Cup playoffs in 28 years—Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between Edmonton and Florida was the second-most watched NHL game on record (the Boston-Vancouver Game 7 in 2011 was first). “They’ve grown their fan base,” said John Shea, CEO of Octagon, the sports marketing and talent management agency. “And when you reach larger audiences, that helps to fuel the business overall.” Young players and the game they play have been showcased in an ongoing campaign called “The Next Golden Era is Now.” The most recent creative, from Highdive, took a tongue-in-cheek look at how Gen Z players were upending Gen Z workplace stereotypes. (Gen Z athletes made up 48% of all NHL players on 2024-25 opening day rosters, the NHL said; 18% of NHLers are 23 or younger). “Our players have been the impetus to put this out there. They’re dynamic, they’re young, they’re good-looking,” said Steve Mayer, the NHL’s president of content and events. The league is equally interested in young fans. Twice every month, NHL execs huddle with a panel of fans between the ages of 13 and 17, talking about hockey—but also gaming, tech, music and other topics. These sessions have taught the NHL that fans are coming to the sport through athletes, and that knowing more about the players as people piques their interest. “We call it ‘humans are greater than highlights,’” said Heidi Browning, senior executive VP and NHL chief marketing officer. “Faceoff: Inside the NHL,” a six-episode Amazon documentary series shot during last season’s playoffs, follows select players on and off the ice. Viewers learned that Connor McDavid, considered to be the best player in the league, possesses both an explosive will to win—and an irrational fear of ketchup. The conformist NHL of yesteryear might have frowned on such transparency, Jennings noted, but it’s critical content for new and casual fans today. A second season of “Faceoff” isn’t official yet “but all signs point to it,” said Mayer. The NHL is attracting attention in other ways. The two-game Stadium Series last year drew 150,000 fans to New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. It held its annual draft in The Sphere in Las Vegas, becoming the first sporting event to be held there. It has also explored animated broadcasts, such as the “Big City Greens Classic” on Disney. “I think the league has done a really smart job embracing new marketing platforms, which in turn gives the league its players and sponsors opportunities to enhance visibility, increase brand awareness and reach new audiences,” said Shea. Read about all of the 2024 Marketers of the Year

How the NHL is attracting Gen Z fans with new marketing platforms

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