NHL, NBC Sports Create Cross-Media Sales Venture

NHL

Looking to streamline its association with TV advertisers, NHL and the NBC Sports Group have created a new media sales venture.

The deal will effectively allow NBC Sports to sell all NHL properties to advertisers -- games and content on NBC, NBCSports.com, cable network Versus, cable channel NHL Network, and the league's digital properties.

Previously, the league had its own sales staff for its NHL cable network and its digital areas. Media sellers from existing NHL TV and digital properties will now work with NBC Sports. This announcement follows up on NBC's 10-year partnership with the NHL; this spring, the parties agreed to air hockey games on NBC and Versus, its cable network.

NHL's COO John Collins stated: "We'll be able to accelerate the growth of our business by providing our sales talent to the strong sales team at NBC. This venture creates an efficient, powerful way for us to bring the young, tech-savvy NHL demographic to advertisers across multiple platforms."

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Collins believes the NHL will benefit from NBC's ability to reach other TV advertisers that buy the Super Bowl, "Sunday Night Football" and the Summer and Winter Olympics.

But the NHL is not giving up the sales process of the more lucrative partnership deals with marketers. That will remain with the league, as well as any media deals purchased through the NHL integrated sales department. The new agreement runs through the 2015-2016 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Seth Winter, senior vice president of NBC Sports Group Sales & Marketing, said: "Sports marketers will benefit because of the unprecedented single voice that allows them to purchase national network television, cable television and digital media for one major sports property in only one place."

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