NHL Pros Go Pro — And It’s Incredible
(Photo: NHL Press release)
The NHL, NHLPA, and GoPro have joined forces.
GoPro, a small high-quality, mounted camera setup is forming its first professional sports partnership with the NHL in North America.
“As part of this unprecedented partnership, the NHL will use GoPro’s innovative equipment and expertise to deliver hockey fans never-before-seen perspectives of the game and the talents of the top players in high-definition video content during national and regional game broadcasts and across the digital and social media platforms of the NHL, NHLPA, and GoPro,” according to an NHL press release.
This includes NHL.com, Twitter, Vine, Facebook, Instagram, and GoPro’s youtube channel.
“The use of GoPro cameras will give fans a new perspective of the extraordinary speed and skill of today’s NHL players,” said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. “We are excited to have GoPro working with us and the NHL to show the great athleticism of our players.”
By teaming up with Visilink, GoPro’s new audiovisual experience shows fans what players see on the ice. And it’s pretty exciting.
“This partnership marks a significant first step for GoPro into team sports, made possible because of NHL and NHLPA’s progressive thinking,” said Todd Ballard, Senior Director of Lifestyle Marketing at GoPro. “Together we will push the boundaries of video content production in hockey and provide fans of the sport with unique, immersive perspectives of the game that they’ve never seen before, from players and officials to in-goal and rink side.”
Here’s a preview:
“GoPro is the perfect partner for us in our ongoing commitment to bring hockey fans closer to the game,” said Bob Chesterman, NHL Senior Vice President of Programming and Production. “As the preeminent leader in adaptable cameras, only GoPro has the technology to help us and our media partners showcase the beauty and intensity of hockey in new and deeper ways. Our partnership with GoPro will be a big win for both new and lifelong hockey fans.”
We’ll get to see much more of it for this All Star weekend.
Players donned GoPro cameras for real-time HD content and multiple angles and views for close-up on-ice action for 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition Saturday.
Additional GoPro views are planned for the live broadcast of the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT Sunday, Jan. 25 NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).
Officials, as well as players, will be included in this GoPro-NHL relationship, providing never before seen points-of-view.
Here’s hoping the partnership includes plenty of future hockey events.