The NHL has had consistent viewership over the past decade, but has not been able to break into the top 3 most watched sports leagues. The NHL has been fourth in viewership following the NFL, MLB, and NBA. How can the NHL better position themselves to contend with the “Three Major Sports” in the United States?
Youth Hockey
One of the easiest ways to increase the popularity of the NHL is to bring more athletes to the sport, but it won’t be cheap. When it comes to their competition, hockey is one of the most expensive sports to play. You cannot just go to a field with a ball and a stick and go play. To play ice hockey, majority of the country does not have a wide range of free access to ice rinks. Most young athletes start off by playing T-Ball or shooting hoops at the local court. But hockey becomes a commitment not only for the athlete but for the parents. Hockey leagues are much less prevalent across the country than the other 3 major sports, which leads to a generation of athletes and fans passionate about sports that aren’t hockey. The NHL needs to spend the money to promote youth hockey players. It cannot be a small effort, making cheap camps or leagues. They need to completely flip the script and make hockey one of the easiest and cost friendly games to play. Having a slight edge against the other sports in accessibility will not have a significant change, they will have to go all in.
Marketability of Players
The biggest success of the MLB, NFL, and NBA are the stories that go along with the games. Major networks like ESPN, NBC, and Fox put much more effort into promoting sports that are not hockey. Talk shows spend countless hours discussing the personal side of sports, teammate relationships, will to win, loyalty and disloyalty, prime time games that seem like a championship game. The marketing of these leagues has propelled the sports to new heights. The league needs to get their players exposure and make the players more than just a jersey with a number. Creating conversation that relates to the average fan will attract more attention to the sport and ultimately allow the sport to grow. People outside of hockey fandom have their idea of what hockey is and will not venture into watching on their own. Viewers need to have their attention grabbed.
Special Events
Introducing new elements to American professional sports is another great way to stir up conversation and grab attention. The Winter Classic is a great example of this. A game played outside rather than indoors is a spectacle to be seen because it is different. Fans will go to these games just to be a part of a sporting event that seems unnatural. The integration of in-season tournaments would be a great opportunity to replicate this. Rather than just playing an entire season through, create an event that is heavily promoted that also allows teams a reward whether it be extra cap space, or an automatic bid to the playoffs with advancement to the second round, something that not only brings a purpose to the fans, but purpose to the players and franchises as well.
Grow the Minor Leagues
Minor League and Amateur sports have a huge following around the nation. Saturdays in the fall are dedicated to college football, Summer is filled with Minor League baseball games in abundance, and March exists for College Basketball. Creating a local following across the country gets fans directly involved. The Minor League baseball structure would work excellent in hockey. Minor League sports thrive on group events and giveaways that get non baseball fans into the seats for more than just the sport. Hockey is a high intensity game that can easily capture new fans every game. Creating more opportunities across America will introduce more fans to the sport, and grow the league exponentially.
The NHL is already close to breaking into the realm of premiere sports, they have plenty of opportunities to grow the sport. It will be an expensive endeavor, but the map has been drawn for them. Reaching more fans needs to be a concerted effort. As the other major sports leagues have shown, sports are one of the biggest revenue drivers in the world, and bringing momentum to an already successful sport could change hockey forever. Hockey is one of the greatest sports, and more sports fans need to be introduced to this spectacle.
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