Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) is slowly taking over the world of digital sports content. MLBAM, the Internet branch of the MLB, just launched an online streaming service for the PGA Tour last week, and now they have announced that in 2016 they will run all of the NHL’s web operations, apps, web streaming and even the NHL Network.
Apart from the PGA Tour and now the NHL, MLBAM helps out on the backend service of all MLB platforms, WatchESPN, HBO Now, WWE Network and March Madness On Demand. They have built an impressive resume for themselves, and fans are wondering what positives and negatives this type of joint venture will bring to NHL’s Internet presence.
As is, the NHL is incredibly lax about fans using NHL video online, even though it is technically copyright infringement. The rationale of this is that the NHL wants fans to interact with their content, no matter the source, but the MLB has traditionally thought the opposite. Time will only tell what MLBAM chooses to do on this subject.
More on the bright side, the MLB has some pretty cool statistical technology that would fit well into NHL broadcasts. Their Statcast tool can decipher measurements of speed, velocity and distance without the use of any sensors on players or the field—just a series of cameras. Hockey fans would surely love to see just how fast Tyler Seguin can be on a breakaway, or the exact speed of a Zdeno Chara slap shot.
All in all, this news means that the NHL’s web service will now be smoother than ever. Also, the MLB is definitely happy that they opened the MLBAM back in 2000—it has become a digital cash cow for them in the ever-growing online marketplace.
The NHL and MLB are holding a press conference today to discuss this new partnership.
