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How the NHL is becoming "younger"

autumnlphillips
Nov 15, 2017
2 min read

The NHL is known all over the world, and hockey is bigger than ever, personally, my favorite sport. I am intrigued by the game, the skill, the fans, and the hockey community in general. From the Stanley cup playoffs, to the Winter Classics, the love for the game is real. Most hockey fans watch their favorite team and boo for the rival team, buy the apparel and merchandise, and keep up with the standings and scores. These fans have been around for a while, and it may even be a family tradition to watch hockey games and root for their home city, or just favorite NHL team.

But what about the younger fans? How do you become a fan of a certain NHL team? Some fans root for their home team, some learn about a team and dedicate their support to them, while others just root for who their family or friends like, and worst of all…those bandwagon fans. We know that when it comes to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, all of those fans are true, dedicated, and been there with their team whether they win or lose. They paid the price for the ticket and actually want to be their rooting for their team. The NHL is trying to regain those lifetime fans and are not getting rid of the old fans, but simply trying to target newer, and younger fans who have a love for the game, but just aren’t dedicated yet or have a favorite NHL team. How can the sports marketing behind the NHL make this happen? We will take a look at the tactics and target market they are going to aim for.

Heidi Browning, the NHL’s Chief Marketing Officer, tells us that “we can personalize messages and offerings to fans” She wants to use the younger age range of children to start young with their favorite team in the NHL, and grow with them. With the changes and tastes of younger consumers, and their T.V. habits, the league needs to grow with them. This younger generation needs role models, and what is better than watching your role model play hockey on the television? Let alone, play a video game where you can actually be your role model, or on his team playing side-by-side with him. With technology, there is also the use of apps. The league needs to add more engagement in the app for the younger fans. They are already making it accessible to watch the game, and see results from the games, but what about something more interactive? Making a kids corner with games, team info and standings that younger children will be able to see and understand. They also discussed how to increase their social media platforms and show more ads for the games and promotions. To really grab fans in and even get new fans, they want to do more on social media and digital advertising, and I think this will really make them successful and make everyone want to become a fan and watch the NHL.