NHL Center Ice was awesome when the commercial break came & you got the static camera image as the guy announced he has to hit the head and additional audio of announcers' goings on in the booth prepping for next segment. Of course, it couldn't last, I can pay AND get commercials; just like ad-free cable & ad-free sat radio.
Yeah nhl is using the ice to show cg ads the localization I noticed was a wataburgur ad on the ice in MN during a Dallas Stars game, but I was in NC so the localization wasn’t tailored to my location, just to average stars fan location.
The gambling aspect has become part of NHL hockey broadcasts now in Canada. On HNIC on a Saturday night, I watched Ron Maclean hand over the broadcast to some guy from a gambling company for a ~10 second segment on the current odds of each team winning. It wasn't like cutting to a commercial break where there's a clear separation between the broadcast and the advertiser.
I was shocked as a non-hockey fan to see an ad of a car driving along the wall during active play. My eyes instinctively moved to the ad away from the puck. It was gross.
As an NBA fan, I hate how ads keep getting crammed into every piece of equipment on the court, the jerseys, etc.
The NHL’s overtime is pretty efficient though. There’s a short commercial break, then 5 minutes of 3-3 which is exciting and has a high probability of goals. Then a well paced shootout if it is still tied. So perhaps broadcasters are ok with a little extra time if they keep a large audience.
I was amazed as well...but moreso infuriated. I was at a friend's place when I realized the game was starting soon and flipped to NBC. We watched about 20 minutes of skiing and figure skating before concluding that it couldn't be on that station. (That realization took so long solely because we thought it impossible for them not to air the USA/Canada hockey game. After all, we're in America and hockey is the most popular winter sport over here; it'd be inane not to air that game.)
It being really cold and my being a poor college student, I decided to just resign myself to my fate and asked my dad to send me score updates via text.
The scores were inspiring enough-- we were keeping pace with the Canadians in hockey. But then Dad starts throwing in extras like "they're wearing 1980 throwback uniforms," "our goalie is having the game of his life," "huge fight at the end of the 2nd." Fuck fuck fuck. How am I missing this? Then he drops the bomb: "This is the best game I've seen since 1980." Fuuuuck!
Right then in the middle of watching Family Guy on Fox with everyone else, on Taco Night of all nights, I just jumped up, explained I couldn't just sit there, and left. I powerwalked down to the near-campus area and walked up and down the street till I found somewhere with the game on (which took a long while) and-- no joke-- stood outside in the freezing cold on the phone with my dad through the entirety of the third.
I agree completely. Rogers (or whoever the consortium that bought the Canadian broadcast rights) has added a number of new camera angles to their broadcast this year. Some are gimmicky. But others really let you experience the game in a new way. For instance, because they have a wire cam, they now have an angle that chases an offensive play down the ice. You appreciate a lot of the nuances more when you're not stuck in the nosebleeds at center. And you appreciate the pace a lot more.
I hope it works and is safe for the players. Hockey is one of those sports that looks like crud on a TV as opposed to having ok seats at an arena. Hockey is one of those sports that I have only met fans that became fans by watching a live game. Its not quite as bad for motorsports since TV seems ok for them, but in person is so much better.
Yea, I always seem to miss the "sign up" window at hockeystreams. I'll have to check out the audio stream, I hadn't heard about that, and I listen to a whole bunch of podcasts so I'm no stranger to audio-only entertainment.
Also, I totally understand the hate from an Avs fan, and can only say, ¯\_(?)_/¯
I have a slightly different problem... I grew up watching WHL games. When I tried to watch NHL games on TV, I got bored waiting for the good hits and fights.
It's utterly incomprehensible to me that networks are allowed to advertise and then insert gambling content into their broadcasts... you think we would have learned our lesson with cigarette ads. And the saddest part, when I see Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time, who can't possibly need the money shilling BetMGM, my heart breaks
The NHL has started adding additional "non-standard" camera angles to their streaming (pay) NHL GameCenter app/service. Many (perhaps all, I don't know) now give you a top-down shot of each goalie in addition to the standard home and away broadcasts. I watch them now and then, and it's really interesting if you're a fan of the game.
I know the adoption of this is mostly going to be extracurricular for now, maybe used during All-Star games and such (they've been known to mic up and interview goalies in those while they're in goal).
Although these videos did make me dizzy, it's such an interesting way to become more engaged in the game. I love that the NHL (being the "4th-place league" in the US) is always doing interesting, creative things to try to make their league better.
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