Monday, October 23, 2006

QOTD: Don't we already know that hockey is back?

Due to the shock of watching Matt Bryant kick a 62-yard field goal yesterday (yes I'm an Eagles fan), I forgot to post the QOTD (Question of the Day for those who just found this site). Here is one for yesterday and I will have another one later on today..

Here's a fantastic question - if I am watching an NHL hockey game on TV, why do I need to see a commercial for NHL hockey, reminding me that the season has started? The season started on October 4th, and if I am watching a hockey game I would probably know that the season is well underway.

Now if, for example these commercials aired during another sporting event, say the MLB Playoffs or on NFL broadcasts they would not only make perfect sense but might actually be effective. It is possible that this is the case but I definitely have never seen that.

I like the fact that the league is finally showcasing their stars but I think they are missing out on a great opportunity. Sports fans typically like more than one sport. Often the only aspects keeping someone from following a sport is lack of exposure. availability and understanding. If the NHL targeted fans of other pro sports better I believe this would help to expand their fan base in many US cities. This is a common practice in the entertainment industry - if you go to a movie in the theatre you will typically see trailers of films in the same genre as the feature film you are seeing. I would like to see the NHL aggressively targeting sports fans to get them to watch a game. Hockey is as exciting now as it has been in over 10 years and with the right marketing plan they should be able to capitalize on the much improved game.

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