Hulu and Great Clips have signed postseason partnerships with the NHL for this year, with Hulu also serving as the on-air presenting sponsor of NBC Sports’ pregame show. Jägermeister, which also signed to support the postseason and is sponsoring the league’s bracket challenge, is extending its partnership to cover next season as well.
NHL Chief Revenue Officer Keith Wachtel said that while the revenue from the sponsorships is just an incremental addition to the league’s overall book of business, much of the value has come from the activation. For example, Hulu also partnered with the NHLPA on a video vignette series that will showcase NHL stars and has created a hockey-specific collection on its service during the playoffs, while Great Clips has been running a digital campaign celebrating “hockey hair.”
While the NHL will look to do additional deals like this in the future, Wachtel said it would stay away from playoff-only partnerships in the more competitive categories like soft drinks and would not allow for repeat playoff-only partners.
“We understand its use as a proof of concept, but for us it’s a funnel to bigger and broader deals — if there’s no interest in that, there won’t be a second chance next postseason,” he said.
