The 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game will feature official league tracking data for the first time. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NBC will unveil a second screen experience that leverages the NHL’s still-in-beta puck- and player-tracking system at the All-Star Game this weekend.
The broadcaster will have the exclusive rights to display the official league data collected via chips in the game puck and player shoulder pads. The game takes place Saturday night in San Jose, Calif. And will be available via NBC digital and broadcast properties.
In the first-of-its-kind digital-only experience, NBC will showcase real-time data of players’ skating speeds, shot speeds, skating distances and shift times. There will also be special graphic identifiers for the players and the puck, displaying that data as they move on the ice. NBC color commentators and former NHL players Kenny Albert and Keith Jones will provide real-time commentary on the presentation.
“We’re always looking to innovate our NHL coverage and create the most enjoyable viewing experience possible,” said Sam Flood, NBCSN’s executive producer and president of production, in a statement. “The All-Star Game provides us with a perfect opportunity to try all of these new elements and evaluate how we can utilize this real-time puck and player tracking data to enhance our coverage going forward.”
This weekend’s second-screen experience will be the first test of a broadcaster using official NHL tracking data in its storytelling properties. The league has only recently started testing its puck and player tracking technology and has yet to cement official partnerships.
In an interview earlier this month, David Lehanski, the NHL’s senior vice president of business development and innovation, told SportTechie that the league is in the process of experimenting with how to best leverage this data to enhance the fan experience. The NHL will make tweaks as necessary with plans to roll out this technology more widely next season.
