The “green screen” technology, where NHL teams can sell virtual ads for home games that aren’t televised nationally, is in its second year. The New York Rangers first tested it in 2008-09 through the MSG Network, said Art Ventura, the network’s senior vice president of media sales.
The Flyers, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Capitals and Rangers are using the technology now, selling space on the glass behind the two goals and, in New York, an additional spot between the team benches at Madison Square Garden.
The Blackhawks, in their second season using the technology, have virtual sign deals with Chevrolet, Harris Bank, MB Financial Bank, the Illinois Lottery, Robert Morris College and Toyota. Those deals are valued in the mid-six figures, and each sponsor owns one goal per period, said Dave Knickerbocker, the team’s senior executive director of marketing and business development. The brands take turns sharing exposure for overtime games.
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The Flyers are in their first year of using virtual ads and expect to generate “a little north of a half-million” in revenue by season’s end, said Joe Croce, senior vice president of sales for Comcast SportsNet. The team charges $3,500 a game in deals with Comcast Business Class digital communications, Geico, Immaculata University, McDonald’s, Powerball, Toyota, Verizon, Virtua Health System, Wawa convenience stores, Wells Fargo and Xfinity.
The Flyers pay $2,700 a game in production costs to Sportvision, the tech firm that the NHL uses to operate the virtual sign system. Philly carves its inventory into shorter increments of time where each brand gets a few minutes of exposure during each period. Some deals are tied to 10-game packages; others, such as McDonald’s and Toyota, run the entire season.
It's awful in hockey. Very distracting. Doesn't look natural like it does in baseball because it has to use tracking technology for the constantly moving cameras, and it shakes. A few times it's become "detached" and started it's own rush up the ice. Stupid. No way they get rid of it unless they get a ton of complaints though with that kind of cash flow.
^^ if they can keep them to a minimum then I'll take the stuff on the glass... if not, put it on the jerseys... I'm NOT a huge fan of the glass ****.. takes away from my focus on the players....
It's awful in hockey. Very distracting. Doesn't look natural like it does in baseball because it has to use tracking technology for the constantly moving cameras, and it shakes. A few times it's become "detached" and started it's own rush up the ice. Stupid. No way they get rid of it unless they get a ton of complaints though with that kind of cash flow.
Did it have a better breakout than we did last night?
