Want a new hockey experience. Canniacs and other NHL fans?
GoProhas signed a deal with the NHL to bring its wearable cameras closer to the action on the ice and let viewers see games from the perspective of players and referees.
“This partnership marks a significant first step for GoPro into team sports, made possible because of NHL and NHLPA’s progressive thinking,” said Todd Ballard, senior director of Lifestyle Marketing at GoPro.
“Together we will push the boundaries of video content production in hockey and provide fans of the sport with unique, immersive perspectives of the game that they’ve never seen before, from players and officials to in-goal and rink side.”
It’s the company’s first such deal with a major professional sports league. While GoPro would not comment on whether other partnerships are in the works, they would make sense.
As part of the NHL deal, footage from GoPro cameras on players, referees and placed around the rink will be shown as part of the live broadcast of this weekend’s All-Star events.
Later, prerecorded footage from the players will be incorporated into TV broadcasts of hockey games.
“Game broadcasts will use the content to provide deeper layers of storytelling and to showcase the skating, stickhandling, goal scoring and net-minding skills of some of the biggest names in the NHL,” the NHL said in a news release.
Whether the players and the referees want to wear the cameras is up to them — the deal doesn’t force anyone to wear it.
GoPro rose to popularity marketing its tiny cameras to skydivers, bikers, surfers and various extreme sports fans, but the NHL deal signals broader goals.
“The use of GoPro cameras will give fans a new perspective of the extraordinary speed and skill of today’s NHL players,” said Mathieu Schneider, who is NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. “We are excited to have GoPro working with us and the NHL to show the great athleticism of our players.”
