NHL Teams With Major League Baseball For Digital Distribution

This means that MLBAM will also be given exclusive rights to distribute live, out-of-market NHL games via the subscription services NHL GameCenter Live and NHL Center Ice, and will bring video, live game streaming, social media, fantasy sports, statistical and analytical content, and apps all under one digital hub.

The National Hockey League Network will move to MLB Network’s studios in Secaucus, N.J. and receive help with both programing and production from the folks at MLBAM.

The improvement of NHL Network, though, is clearly important to hockey’s higher-ups. But “beyond that, we’re looking to Major League Baseball on how to improve the network. This allows us to focus on content”.

Terms of the deal were not announced, but a reporter asked Bettman if they include a rights fee and equity plan.

MLBAM expects to fully take over by January 2016. The company today reported second quarter results that saw its revenue rise 69%, year-over-year, to $22.7-million.

“As the market leader, MLBAM is uniquely qualified to assist us in giving hockey fans a richer, more immersive experience with the game”, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

Rumors that Major League Baseball would spin off its successful digital technology operation date back to late last year, when HBO axed the in-house technology unit that was developing its HBO Now direct-to-consumer streaming service and outsourced development and operation of the platform to MLB Advanced. NeuLion, the previous digital partner, will help with the transition. More to the point, baseball’s online presentation is widely regarded as the best available of the four major pro sports, and any improvement to the NHL’s online presence in particular has to be viewed as a positive force for the growth of the game in the U.S. “Because of our own experiences in delivering baseball to its loyal fans, MLB Advanced Media is uniquely suited to excel in a partnership of this magnitude”.