"The National Hockey League continues its aggressive broadband push with a new video player for nhl.com, more ad options and a batch of channels timed to launch when the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs begin Wednesday. This week's launch includes access to three years of archived clips by date and player, as well as several hours a day of programming. It's just the beginning -- a taste of what's coming this summer when all 30 teams will start using the player to distribute their own programming, and when nhl.com relaunches completely in September," reports PaidContent.
The Stanley Cup seems to have the biggest gap between the quality of the event and the size of the global coverage. (Well, in my experience, people unfamiliar with the game can barely follow the puck, let alone the rules.) This could change if the NHL can route around broadcasters and reach the public directly, via the net. As PaidContent notes:
The move follows a recent deal with Hulu that includes games, highlights and a Hulu-only show. The NHL's other broadband deals include a strong relationship with YouTube, a channel on Joost and plans for Sling Media's still-unreleased Clip+Sling. In addition, the NHL has its own broadband version of the out-of-market Center Ice package.
