NHL should build on Big City Greens Classic broadcast

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates the goal by center Mika Zibanejad (93) against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

NHL should build on innovative Big City Greens Classic TV broadcast

By Josh Kestenbaum | Last updated 3/16/23

The NHL took a major step in marketing the sport to a younger demographic during Tuesday's Rangers-Capitals Big City Greens Classic. On ESPN, viewers watched a standard broadcast while viewers on the Disney Channel got an animated, alternate-reality game similar to Nickelodeon broadcasts of NFL games.

On the Disney Channel, the Rangers and Capitals were animated in the style of hit television series “Big City Greens,” a comedy adventure series. (Disney is the parent company of ESPN.)

Patrick Kane's first goal at MSG (and Big City Greens) as a Ranger was a RIPPER ☄️ pic.twitter.com/f1SX5TrXGe
— ESPN (@espn) March 15, 2023

The Disney Channel broadcast also included a referee turned into an animated chicken and even the animation of the intermission broadcast duo of Drew Carter and Kevin Weekes.

The NHL TV product has not seen this much innovation since Fox Sports' glowing puck of the 1990s.

Per the Sports Business Journal, the telecast was an experiment made possible by NHL Edge, the league’s puck and player tracking system; ESPN’s Creative Studio, the Big City Greens creators and Sony-owned Beyond Sports.

“The big thing for me was that it was very innovative,” Weekes told SBJ. “It was intentional. It was certainly conscious and mindful of our viewing audiences — both traditional, non- and new audience — which I was think was really, really cool because you don’t want to drive anybody away from games.”

The NHL is eager to appeal to a younger demographic, figuring younger fans could be future ticket-buyers and major consumers of the sport. If the sport grows with a younger demographic, the financial health of the hockey could improve, too.

The NHL simulcast tonight's Capitals/Rangers game with an animated stream inspired by Disney's "Big City Greens"

Has us reminiscing about that glowing puck from the late 90's ☄️pic.twitter.com/6WRN1jYkio

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 15, 2023

NHL player salaries lag far behind those of players in the NFL, MLB and NBA.

The highest-paid NHL player, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, will make $12 million this season — far below many of the top NFL, MLB and NBA players.

Salaries, popularity and coverage go hand-in-hand, so pioneering projects such as the Big City Greens Classic are important for the NHL's future. The league should build on the innovative broadcast. More please.

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