The professional ice hockey league, the National Hockey League (NHL) has announced a partnership renewal with an American wireless network operator, Verizon.
With this extension, Verizon will continue to be the NFL’s exclusive partner in the domains of 5G broadband, cellular services, and mobile edge computing, in addition to being the league’s official technology partner.
However, Verizon will now conduct a pilot study on the installation of 5G private wireless networks in NHL venues, which will be customised to the requirements of the employees of the NHL teams and the businesses located within each venue.
Verizon already offers broadband networks in all NHL arenas, and it will keep doing so in order to enhance the fan experience by enabling fans to access the internet more quickly within the buildings.
With the signing of this multi-year agreement, the NHL’s collaboration with Verizon will extend beyond its first five-year term, which began in 2020.
Kyle Malady, Verizon Business Chief Executive, stated, “Our collaboration with the NHL showcases what transformative network connectivity can bring to venues and fans alike. Having a forward-looking partner in the NHL opens up significant opportunities from an operational standpoint, when you look at the business of professional hockey, to enhancing in-game efficiencies and the fan experience.”
NHL Executive Vice President for business development and innovation, David Lehansky, said, “Creating the solutions and experiences of tomorrow is not only a function of applying cutting-edge technologies from world-class companies, but it’s also a function of being able to truly collaborate with them to uncover meaningful new use cases.”
The NHL’s annual Stadium Series of outdoor regular season games at sports stadiums will serve as the launchpad for the deal’s renewal. In cooperation with the NHL, Verizon will run activations leading up to the 2024 series, which will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on February 17 and 18.
Recently, the NHL also developed partnerships with Tourism Prince Edward Island (PEI), NFP, and Tylenol.