NHL’s oft-criticized ad board experiment is now Emmy-nominated
The NHL’s latest revenue-generating strategy may have gained some much-needed clout on Tuesday night thanks to an Emmy nomination.
The league’s boards, which now feature a rotating slate of on-screen advertisements, were nominated for the George Wensel Technical Achievement Award in the sports category of television’s most prestigious awards show.
The online reaction to the news seemed to be one of shock by fans who expressed disdain for the moving ad boards, which made their debut this season.
Distracting, unnecessary, loathed by most fans but loved by sponsors and the owners that get paid – the only people who matter. https://t.co/5HBNsg9qcU
— Scotty Hockey (@ScottyHockey) April 11, 2023Twitter user Scotty Hockey said the new technology was “distracting, unnecessary [and] loathed by most fans,” while fellow critic David Croteau likened the boards to the Hindenburg disaster.
I believe the Hindenburg once won that same "technical achievement" award.
Moving ads on digital boards are a disaster.
The nomination comes amid a turbulent second season of NHL broadcasts under the ESPN and Turner networks.
Viewership was down 23 percent on January 31, with the number of games flexed from cable to ESPN+ and frequent regional blackouts on that platform frequently cited as issues.
Maybe @ESPNPlus could not black out so many of my out-of-market games?
— Craig Bruce Smith (@craigbrucesmith) February 1, 2023The Emmy nomination was just one of an astounding 59 for the ESPN family of networks.
Should the lucrative technology win the award, fans may have to accept that moving advertisements are a permanent fixture of the NHL’s boards.