NHL Network Online Launches with Marquee Sponsors Bud Light, Cisco, Dodge and Verizon Wireless

Business Wire, April 9, 2008

New Broadband Media Experience Breaks New Ground In Sports Programming, Immersing Fans And Delivering Powerful Marketing Platform To Partners

NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League (NHL) today unveiled the NHL Network Online, a groundbreaking broadband media service sponsored by NHL partners Bud Light, Cisco, Dodge and Verizon Wireless, and available for free to fans at NHL.com.

A key component of the NHL's strategy to build global scale through digital media, the NHL Network Online is delivered to fans through a sleek new broadband media player. This immersive, all-access experience invites fans to NHL.com to spend more time behind-the-scenes with their favorite players and teams.

"NHL fans are extremely passionate about the game, and have shown a great appetite for consuming League content through digital media," said John Collins, the NHL's Senior Executive Vice President of Business and Media. "The NHL Network Online is representative of the NHL's strategy to develop multiple, integrated assets that scale our business and create significant opportunities for our business partners."

New Channels Deliver Significant Value for NHL Sponsors

The NHL Network Online delivers a platform that engages the League's appealing fan demographic while easily integrating with sponsor campaigns and branding. The NHL built a best-in-class solution that delivers the experience NHL fans crave and enables partners to have their own branded media player skins, color schemes and watermarks. The new broadband media player features rotating, IAB-compliant ad panels that do not interrupt a high-quality fan experience, and it also accommodates distinct branding for sponsors marketing to different countries.

"We are leveraging the technical sophistication of our fan base and delivering a marketing solution that enables our partners to reach this very appealing demographic," said Larry Gelfand, the NHL's Senior Vice President of Media Sales. "The new broadband media player is an extremely compelling multimedia experience that engages NHL fans as never before to deliver unprecedented value to sponsors."

The NHL Network Online channel lineup is highlighted by:

* The Hockey Show - Presented by Bud Light and among the centerpieces of the NHL Network Online, "The Hockey Show" is produced exclusively for the Web and is a fun, edgy, all-access look at the NHL. A new episode of "The Hockey Show" will be produced each weekday during the season, giving it 24x7 relevance. "The Hockey Show" also will offer Video-On-Demand, enabling fans to find and view archived shows and clips.

* NHL:LiveWire - Presented by Cisco, NHL:LiveWire is a channel dedicated to bringing fans live events and original programming from around the NHL. Whether it's a morning skate, a news conference or live coverage of special events such as the NHL All-Star Game or AMP Energy/NHL Winter Classic, "NHL:LiveWire" will carry it as it happens.

* Stanley Cup Playoffs Channel - Presented by Dodge, the Stanley Cup Playoffs Channel is a seasonal channel dedicated to playoff news, highlights, features and analysis.

* NHL Game Highlights - Presented by Verizon Wireless and billed as "every goal and every save from every game," NHL Game Highlights allow fans to look at box scores, click on a player's name and see all of his goals, saves and hits dating back nearly three seasons.

Other programming channels on the NHL Network Online include:

* NHL Productions Presents - Includes features, retrospectives and other special programs from NHL Productions. Programs generally will follow the League's current events such as player milestones.

* NHL Radio - NHL programming from XM Radio and Westwood One, including select video simulcasts.

* NHL Podcast Central - All of the NHL's Podcasting content, all in one place for subscription, download or play.

"As the consumer evolves, so do those trying to reach them," said Tony Ponturo, vice president of Global Media and Sports Marketing at Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "People in general are spending an increasing amount of time online and NHL fans are no different. We expect that the NHL Network Online and the League's new broadband media player will be effective in reaching and engaging those fans."

"The NHL and Cisco share a similar vision for enhancing the fan experience and increasing brand awareness through the use of superior technology and rich media. With its tech-savvy fan demographic, the NHL is a natural marketing partner. We're encouraged by the NHL's new media platforms and are excited to be part of this digital transformation," said Jeff Platon, vice president, marketing, Cisco Sports and Entertainment Solutions.

"The NHL is a longtime strategic marketing partner of Dodge, and we are pleased to participate in the launch of this landmark network," said Mike Accavitti, Director, Dodge Brand Marketing & Communications. "We were extremely pleased at how easily our brand and message integrated into the NHL Network Online broadband media player, and our Journey to the Stanley Cup campaign will be an important part of April's launch of the new Dodge Journey crossover."