Without paying a dime, hockey fans can get game highlights for any NHL club using the NHL's new mobile application. They can also get live radio broadcasts, scores, schedules, rosters, standings and much more. I'm sold. The new app, launched in early October, replaces NHL GameCenter Live for iPhone. Developed in-house in partnership with NeuLion, the app is an ad-supported free download available on iOS and Android devices. Fans looking to watch live out-of-market games, as well as full and condensed game recaps can purchase an upgrade to GameCenter Live for $159. This review was conducted on an iPhone 5 version 8.0.2, with AT&T LTE service.
POWER PLAYS: Fans are getting a lot for free with the new NHL app; most notably a full reel of highlights for any game. They can also watch individual highlights that are conveniently broken into categories -- Goals, Hits and Saves -- and appended to live play-by-play. Live home and away radio broadcasts are also free, offering a nice alternative for fans that would rather not pay for the live-stream. Twitter and Instagram are now integrated into the app's news feeds. Fans choose their favorite NHL teams upon loading the app, and separate feeds are populated for each one containing official Twitter handles, Instagram photos, video and relevant news. Feeds also contain quiet ads in-line with content, much like ESPN’s SportsCenter application. The Scores section places your favorite clubs at the top position. Tapping on any game brings up real time features including the live stream, live audio, box scores and highlights. For past games, the highlights section provides access to full and condensed game recaps, which are particularly well done. Live out-of-market video, multiple camera angles and video recaps are reserved for paying GameCenter Live customers, and upgrading is a simple process via iTunes. With the upgrade, users can view up to eight different camera angles depending on location with goalie cams available for nearly all games. Elsewhere, video is sharable via text, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, and in-stream advertising is well regulated. Alerts can be set for key moments including game start, goals, overtime start and final score.
PENALTY BOX: Many improvements have been made to the app since last season, but there is still room for growth. Video is plentiful, but clips cannot be searched or filtered by keyword. A smart search feature would be a nice addition. A highlight category for fights would also be welcomed. The navigation includes some content duplication that should be cleaned up. Game recaps should be brought out of the highlights section for easier access. Scoring alerts interrupt the live stream. There is no avenue to purchase tickets within the app, although it does contain a calendar feature where this could be added. The NHL shop is available under More, but points of purchase could be better integrated.
BOTTOM LINE: The NHL puts out quite the upgrade with their revamped mobile application. Some features remain intact, while others -- like fluid integrations with Twitter and Instagram -- have been dramatically improved. Non-paying customers get a whole lot of content, most notably highlights, and the pay model for access to GameCenter Live has been simplified to include all wireless carriers at one price point. I give the app four stars. Users on iTunes give it three stars, despite many change-haters crippling the rating.
Amie Sheridan (amie.sheridan31@gmail.com) is a freelance writer in Philadelphia.
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