Ten-year-old Greyson Goldstein stands outside
Ball Arena before Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa
Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Denver.
One of the biggest stories in the NHL this
season has been the increase in viewers in the league’s first year of its
television contracts with ESPN and TNT. The league is also seeing unparalleled
growth in female and younger fans that should have a big impact for years to
come.
According to NHL research, 37% of hockey fans
are female, including an eye-popping 26% growth in that demographic since 2016.
Most of those new fans are likely within the coveted 18-49 age demographic,
too, since nearly 40% of all NHL fans are under 50.
Kali Mack — an Avalanche fan who lives in
Colorado and is part of the league’s Power Players youth advisory board — said
the recent growth comes as the league has showcased more of the human side of
the game.
“We’re seeing more player interviews, family
moments and those heartfelt things that happen off the ice, as well as this mix
of the great highlights that we’re also seeing.,” she said. “That’s been really
great to help get more people in the game because people who don’t know the
sport will connect more with the human moments. And then the highlights will
keep their attention.”
The increase among female viewers was higher
during Wednesday night games on TNT. During the regular season, there was a 44%
jump in female viewers compared to previous years, when the games were aired on
NBCSN.
“Not only do we want to give our avid fans
the content that they love, but how can we share it with casual and new fans
and make sure that they feel welcome,” said Heidi Browning, the NHL’s senior
executive vice president and top marketing officer.
The effort to grow connections has include
social media. The league formed a content partnership with TikTok while the
agreement with Turner led to Bleacher Report expanding its coverage and the B/R
Open Ice vertical. Bleacher Report’s hockey site posted its most viewed month
(35.8 million page views) in May and saw engagement triple compared to last
year.
Browning is also pleased with the NHL’s share
of young fans. League research found that 80% of the users on its digital
channels are Gen Z and millennial. The Power Players board, created in 2019,
seeks the opinions of fans and social influencers ages 13-17.
Aiden Gunn, who is also part of the board,
pointed to the changes in marketing for the growth.
“They’ve taken a less professional approach to their marketing. And I mean that in the best way possible. It’s so much more personal,” he said. “I truly believe that social media is basically an elevator pitch, you have two seconds to capture somebody’s attention. And I think (in) the NHL that’s entirely reflected in their marketing strategy recently. They’ve done so much better with sprucing up all of their content.”
Mack said of the things she has noticed from
the board’s recommendations is more activity on TikTok showing things like the
players walking into the arena, in the same way the pregame fashion choices
have increased traffic on NBA and NFL sites.
The growth in younger fans should also lead
to increased revenue in future seasons. Commissioner Gary Bettman said revenue
should be in excess of $5.2 billion for this year. While the off-ice stories
have helped, Bettman continues to stress it is also about the product on the
ice.
“The growth and interest starts with the
game,” said Bettman before the start of the Stanley Cup Final.
The NHL’s efforts got a bonus Friday night as
the final was pushed to Game 6 on Sunday night, where Tampa Bay will host
Colorado and try to force a deciding Game 7 in its threepeat championship bid.
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to
this story.
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