• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 7, 2008

The National Hockey League (NHL) today plans to unveil the NHL Network Online, a free broadband media service available on the league's Web site. The service launches with Bud Light, Cisco and Dodge each supporting one of seven dedicated channels.

The NHL Network Online service, which officially launches on Wednesday, plays into the league's strategy to heighten awareness for the game through digital media by giving fans instant access to human interest stories, news and scores.

Marketing the service to consumers has been a key consideration. Ad spots running on Versus, NBC and several other networks, as well as text links on the NHL.com home page, lead consumers to the media player.

Andre Mika, the man behind the NHL Network Online, was the executive producer of LiveEarth, one of the more successful high-definition (HD) broadcasts. He also led programming at AOL and produced content for DreamWorks and Walt Disney.

Mika, along with others at the league, designed the NHL Network Online channel to include "The Hockey Show" sponsored by Bud Light, produced exclusively for the Web. It features dedicated on-air talent that provides daily news, analysis, features and highlights Monday through Friday during the pre-season, regular season and playoffs.

"LiveWire," sponsored by Cisco, brings fans live events and original programming from around the NHL, such as morning skate, press conferences, and special events like the 2008 Amp Energy Winter Classic.

The Playoff Channel sponsored by Dodge is seasonal, dedicated to playoff news, highlights, features and analysis. Dodge wanted to go beyond banner ads and weave the marketing message into the video content on the channel.

With the rollout of the Journey--a crossover SUV--geared toward consumers ages 18 to 34, Dodge plans to tell the story of the 16 unique teams and how they went from contender to qualifier in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, focusing on efficiency. So, the channel's video vignettes highlight the SUV's space and fuel efficiencies.

Other programming channels on the NHL Network Online include: "Game Highlights" with highlights that support last night's games through NHL archives, "NHL Productions Presents" offers features, retrospectives and other special programs from NHL Productions.

Programs will generally follow the league's current events such as player milestones. NHL Radio from XM Radio includes select video simulcasts. The Podcast Channel offers up NHL's podcasting content. The NHL Network Online also shows daily updates such as "Rewind," a review of last night's games, and "Rush Around the NHL," a preview of today's action.

If the hockey clips and ads embedded into the videos don't get the viewer excited about the brands sponsoring the channels, perhaps ads and marketing messages running along the sides of the online media player will. Media distribution partners like iTunes, Hulu, YouTube and Joost that have "formal, branded NHL channels lined up to provide some promotional love, too" says Larry Gelfand, SVP of media sales.

Gelfand says there are plans to look at additional marketing initiatives next year, but the initial move is to market to existing fans. The strategy aims to capitalize on the fact that the league owns copyrights to digital content, so it can freely encourage fans who watch clips online to share the videos with friends and family.

In fact, the NHL hopes to create a viral frenzy that sweeps across the Internet as fans embed clips on Bebo, Facebook, MySpace, among other social network sites, thereby eliminating the myopic nature of the game. So, residents of Los Angeles might stand at the water cooler the morning after a big play and talk about the unbelievable play they saw in the Detroit game. "We want you to notice what the great stars throughout the league are doing," Gelfand says.

Along with the NHL, broadcast service provider NeuLion designed and developed the media player. The technology allows the league to add sponsored custom skins and rotating panel advertisements on the Internet media player.

All 30 NHL teams will have an option to run NHL Network Online on their Web sites, as well as to create their own channels and content. For example, the Ducks--which play at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.--might create a channel geared toward highlights and interviews with team members.

The Internet turns television content into video on demand minus the set-top box. The study "TNS Online Video Awareness & Usage Study," commissioned by AOL and Google in late 2007 and cited by eMarketer, suggests that TV online attracts consumers with convenience, fewer annoying ads, easy-to-find content, and control over what's being watched.

Convenience and control are also the hallmarks of digital video recorder (DVR) use, which eMarketer estimates will reach about one-quarter of U.S. households this year and nearly two in five by 2011.

No matter how you view it, companies have recognized the potential for Internet TV. In 2008, nearly 80% of U.S. Internet users will watch online video at least once a month. Perhaps the fact that 52.5% of all Americans will view online video regularly in 2008 provides greater insight into the new TV audience.