The NHL is "quietly testing virtual advertising technology that would allow broadcasters to replace ads on home team dasherboards with their own electronic signage," according to Lefton & Thomas of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. What is "being referred to internally as 'dynamic dasherboards' would allow more vibrant and pricey ad messages, including animation, as well as represent a new way to derive revenue from in-venue signage." It would "allow for an 'away' broadcaster to sell virtual ad inventory of an out-of-market venue to advertisers." Supponor, a European company whose history dates to '00, is "testing its DBR (digital billboard replacement) virtual advertising system with the league -- and it did so as recently as Oct. 3 at the Prudential Center." NHL COO John Collins "stressed that the virtual ad play was still very much a test and that Supponor’s system could eventually be used by any of the league’s rights holders, not just 'away' broadcasters." Collins said that under "an ideal scenario, if approved by ownership, the technology could be put in use as soon as" next season, but he added that it "could be tested at some of the NHL’s jewel events before then -- like the All-Star Game, the Winter Classic or any of the outdoor games planned for this season." League sponsors "already get precedence over local deals when it comes to dasherboard signage on NBC and NBC Sports Network telecasts" (
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/3 issue).
