The professional ice hockey league, National Hockey League (NHL) has announced a multiyear US partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel.
As part of the deal, Norwegian Cruise Line has become the official cruise line of the NHL.
The groundbreaking new partnership represents the first time NCL has collaborated with a professional sports league, as well as the NHL’s first collaboration with a cruise line.
The collaboration grants NCL a slew of unique marketing rights and designations that will link the NCL brand with the NHL and its fans via the NHL’s extensive marketing, digital, and social media platforms for the term of the agreement.
In order to connect fans with the excitement of attaining their travel goals, NCL will be the presenting sponsor of the NHL’s weekly top goals content, which will have the year’s most sought-after goal. Fans can also get involved in the action by voting on this goal content on NHL platforms for an opportunity to win a variety of prizes, including the grand prize of a free NCL cruise. Throughout the collaboration, NHL fans will be able to interact with the cruise line at NHL events such as NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Stadium Series, and NHL Winter Classic through enticing on-site activations, in-arena and in-stadium signage, and other activities.
NCL will also benefit from national U.S. broadcast visibility on ESPN and TNT Sports via Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DED), the NHL’s proficient method for dynamic dasherboard advertising during the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoff games. As part of the nationwide DED broadcast exposure in the United States, NCL will be the presenting sponsor of the game’s first goal, with DED creative appearing on every NHL broadcast on ESPN and TNT. The NCL logo will also appear on camera viewable virtual slot on-ice commercials during NHL regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs games televised on ESPN and TNT in the United States.
Adam Malone, Chief Marketing Officer for Norwegian Cruise Line, commented, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the NHL. The passion and excitement we see from their fans is truly contagious, and we share that same electrifying passion for traveling the globe and delivering more to see, more to do and more to enjoy for our guests. Through this partnership, the NHL has provided a fantastic platform for us to connect with their fans, and we cannot wait to show them how they can ‘Experience More at Sea’ with NCL.”
Jason Jazayeri, NHL Vice President, Business Development, said, “With the NHL regular season starting in North America today, we are thrilled to welcome NCL to the NHL family as a first-ever cruise line partner of the NHL. Leveraging our award-winning DED signage and connecting the NCL brand to some of our most celebrated in-game moments helps build more excitement for our partnership in a way that is authentic to our fans. We look forward to partnering with one of the world’s leading cruise lines and helping drive a deeper connection between their brand and our passionate fanbase.”
Leading the cruise industry, Norwegian Cruise Line consistently raises the bar for modern sailing by providing its passengers with an abundance of prestigious culinary, top-notch entertainment, cutting-edge recreational options, and more. With a fleet of 20 ships, Norwegian Cruise Line travels to 450 locations worldwide and provides more than 50 accessible homeports.