Being a dedicated NHL fan takes a lot of work. You spend countless hours watching games, analyzing plays, and fretting over your Fantasy League team in the latest head to head. However, being a fan of a National Hockey League team when you reside outside North America is even tougher. Do you like to get 8 hours of sleep every night? Forget it. Time zone differences make it incredibly difficult to view games in real-time. Here are the Diaries of an International NHL Fan.
Do you have a subpar cellphone service or Wifi connection? Yes? Forget trying to view the game in HD. You’ll be stuck with “potato-quality” visuals my friend!
Whilst these may seem like superficial complaints, this is just the tip of the iceberg in an international NHL fan’s experience. And in some sense, the NHL is to blame.
Taking a Look at the Competition
For many North American sports, the major aim is to turn over as much profit as possible. One way to do this is to expand the product into new markets, thereby increasing target audiences.
The National Football League has managed to see considerable success in creating an audience outside of their traditional North American viewership. Having since learned their lesson from the failed ‘NFL Europe‘ experiment , the organization has managed to capitalize upon European markets. This was done through the introduction of several “London Games“.
These games have been so successful that talks of establishing a permanent franchise in the UK are constant. In the past, the NFL have expressed their desire to have a permanent franchise based in London by 2025.
Although it would create a logistical nightmare, one cannot deny the existence of the demand. Hence showing that the NFL have successfully expanded the game to establish a core fanbase in the European sports market.
The introduction of Game Pass International has also allowed for expanded viewership in international markets. Much like that of the regular Game Pass experience, fans can stream games live and on-demand. Although blackouts can apply (and these are annoying no matter what market you are from), games become available immediately after broadcast.
These factors have ultimately ensured the success of the NFL abroad. But what about the NHL?
The NHL’s International Game Play
The NHL are significantly trying to expand upon their international presence through the implementation of games in China and Europe. The league has already rolled out the “China Games” series in 2018 and continued the Global Series this season.
Fixtures for the Global Series saw the Chicago Blackhawks taking on Eisbären Berlin in Germany and the Philadelphia Flyers take on Lausanne HC in Switzerland. Both NHL teams also met in the Czech Republic, where the Philadelphia Flyers overcame the challenge of the Blackhawks 4-3. Two final fixtures are set for November 7th and 8th, which will see the Tampa Bay Lightning battle it out with the Buffalo Sabres.
These games will definitely manage to raise the profile of the National Hockey League internationally. However, placing games in markets that already have an appetite for hockey (particularly in Sweden) may not draw in the crowds from markets they are currently not reaching.
NHL TV – What Could Have Been
The NHL are also significantly inhibiting the expansion of the game internationally through their less than stellar streaming service.
NHL TV, whilst it does offer live viewing for many international fans, does have significant drawbacks. Television networks (such as paid subscription channel Premier Sports in the UK) have managed to gain a significant monopoly on prime time games throughout the season. This often leaves fans unable to view games due to blackout restrictions.
Whilst blackouts are just a part of the viewing experience, the issue for many international fans is game archives. This aspect, in particular, is where the NHL falls flat in comparison to the NFL. In situations where games are blacked out and no other access is possible, having to wait 48 hours for highlights to be uploaded is far from ideal.
In this instance, the NHL are in fact creating a situation where fans from international markets will turn to alternative methods to get content. Whether this is through a legal means or not, this results in a loss of revenue for the NHL.
More worryingly, this aspect has the potential to significantly stifle their ability to retain new fans. As the league are making it very difficult to consume live content or at the very least replays, the “average viewer” will simply not be interested and turn to other sports. So, if the NHL wants to truly expand the game, this is an area that needs to be addressed.
Why International Expansion Is A Good Thing
Even though the main body of this article has heavily criticized the NHL’s international expansion, the idea itself should only be seen as positive.
Many fans in North American sports have grown to detest international series. For many, it represents the greed of the league. “Playing abroad” is really just another way of saying your team will be forfeiting an extra home game this season.
But for those international fans, it is a wholly different viewpoint. In having access to live games and international series, it allows them to connect with sports that they may never have engaged with previously.
As someone who became aware of the game in North America, international expansion has allowed me to engage with completely different sports. I have formed meaningful relationships within the hockey community. And most remarkable of all, I have managed to create career path within a sport and market I have “no business” in entering. In choosing the NHL over “run of the mill” programming on television, I formed a love for the game that has ultimately changed my outlook on life.
It can be an inconvenience dealing with blackout. It is definitely tough trying to survive the day on little sleep after a west coast broadcast. However, none of these things truly matter. Getting to experience the greatest game on earth can outweigh any negative aspect. So long as us international fans remain in the conversation (and our internet connections remain working), we will continue to appreciate the game like those who are “natives”. The diaries of an international NHL fan.
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