We know the NHL has the stars, the drama, the action, the skill, the artistry, the physicality, the passion of any other sport on earth - even eclipsing the other sports in many of these categories. But the problem is that "we" are a small bunch. We had to seek it out, and hold on when it went away, and stick up for it while it was assaulted by every pundit, sports journalist and talk show host imaginable (not that the criticisms were undeserved).
And whether or not you find such matters fascinating, boring, or confusing, it's good to know that the NHL appears to have an excellent candidate, ex-NFL executive John Collins, in position to at least put the league back on America's radar; if not catapult it into the mainstream. (Here's hoping, anyway...)
We are a $2.3 billion business, and a lot of that revenue is through the gates. We have 22 million people at our arenas every year. We have 53 million avid fans in North America. But the big insight we came to after the lockout is that our fans say they love hockey, but they don't behave like they love hockey. They behave like a million fans of the New York Rangers, a million fans of the Chicago Blackhawks. The passion they have is at a local level, but that doesn't translate to passion at a league level. If you are a fan of the NFL's New York Giants, you'll still watch Monday Night Football even if the Giants aren't playing. You'll watch the playoffs and Super Bowl even if the Giants don't make it. But according to the traditional metrics that tell you about the health and vitality of broadcast ratings, we're not able to scale at the national level of the NFL, MLB or Nascar. So we don't feel like a $2.3 billion business; we feel like a $300 million business, like a niche sport like Major League Soccer or AVP [professional volleyball].
I also like the mention of the league ad campaigns that will slow down the game like NFL films does. Excellent move.
"Brandweek" article from 10/1
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