NHL Announces General Availability of NHL GameCenter Live, New Interactive Interface for Watching Live NHL Games Online

Business Wire, Oct 9, 2008

New Features Put NHL Fans In Complete Control Of A Virtual Broadcast Command Center; NHL Offering Free Trial During Season-Opening Weekend

NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League (NHL) today announced the general availability of NHL GameCenter Live[TM], a new online subscription service that enables fans to engage with live NHL games via TV-quality streaming video. The NHL is offering a free weekend-long trial of NHL GameCenter Live during the opening weekend of the NHL season in North America (October 10-12).

A major component of the new NHL.com, the League's new Web site that gives fans a personalized, all-access pass to their favorite NHL team and players, NHL GameCenter Live replaces and dramatically upgrades the League's former live streaming video product, NHL Center Ice Online.

NHL GameCenter Live is specifically designed for those avid fans looking for the most complete, in-game NHL viewing experience, as well as for the nearly 50 percent of NHL fans that live away from their favorite team's local television market and crave more content and access.

The hallmark of NHL GameCenter Live puts fans in control of experiencing live NHL games online. NHL GameCenter Live enables fans to choose the games they want to watch (blackout restrictions apply), bounce in and out of multiple games, view up to four games at once, enjoy a "Game of the Night" featuring select multiple camera angles, interact with real-time stats, chat with other fans and more.

"NHL GameCenter Live goes well beyond any NHL game experience that's ever been available to fans online," said Perry Cooper the NHL's Senior Vice President, NHL Direct Digital Marketing. "As we continue to program online to individuals, NHL GameCenter Live takes personalization to another level, enabling fans to control their own unique interactive game experience."

Every night, NHL GameCenter Live brings fans into to the action with features such as:

An exclusive experience. During each night of NHL action, NHL GameCenter Live will highlight a "Game of the Night" featuring camera angles not available to television viewers. These exclusive angles put fans inside the glass at select games with goal cameras, overhead cameras and more.

Multi-game view. Lets fans watch up to four games simultaneously. There's also a full-screen viewing mode.

On-Demand Viewing. NHL GameCenter Live archives all games from the current season and beyond so fans can watch games on their own time, starting 48 hours after a game ends.

Interactivity. With NHL GameCenter Live's chat capabilities, fans can connect and sound off as they watch the action.

Ticker and alerts. A complete scoreboard at the top of the page makes it simple to keep track of scores from around the NHL. Alerts let fans know when a goal was scored, or when a close game is entering the final few minutes so they can see where the action is and be there with a single click.

Stats, stats and more stats. NHL GameCenter Live features a direct feed from the NHL's own Real-Time Statistics.

Action tracking. A virtual rink lets fans visually keep track of where and when every shot, hit, goal and penalty came from, as well as instantly link to select highlights of each play.

Choose your audio. When available, fans can choose which audio feed (home or away radio) accompanies the game.

Game highlights. Access to League-wide video highlights at the click of a mouse.

Amazing Photos. Fans can now browse Getty Images for the rich, dynamic imagery available from every game throughout the League. In the future, fans will have the option to purchase these images.

NHL GameCenter Live was designed and developed in coordination with NeuLion, Inc. NeuLion, which also co-developed NHL Network Online, builds and manages broadcasting networks and offers its customers a complete end-to-end broadcasting and billing service. The service delivers video, live events, radio and other content over the Internet directly to consumers. NeuLion's service also supports consumer devices such as TV and Mobile.

The NHL will utilize Cisco technology to deliver the experience of NHL GameCenter Live to hockey fans in North America and beyond.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

Fans can subscribe immediately to NHL GameCenter Live at the early-bird discount rate of US$159/CAN$199 for the whole season, or for monthly early-bird installments of US$19.95/CAN$27.99. Fans who have purchased the NHL[R] 2k9 video game can receive a 60-day free trial of NHL GameCenter Live with proof of purchase by visiting www.nhl.com/livegames2k. To order NHL GameCenter Live visit www.nhl.com/gamecenter.> About the NHL

The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League's international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, NASN, ASN and NHL Network) and radio (NHL Radio, Sirius XM Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.