Verizon Wireless has agreed a multi-year partnership renewal with the National Hockey League (NHL) and Players’ Association (NHLPA) in a deal that is set to provide enhanced digital content and streamed action for fans.

Verizon will continue as the official wireless service provider of the League in the U.S. and will offer exclusive content via its edition of the NHL GameCenter smartphone and tablet apps. For the first time, the NHL will offer customers of the Verizon NHL GameCenter Premium App the ability to stream programming – taking fans inside all the action from around the League, including live look-ins, real-time scores, team press conferences, expert analysis, and on-location access to events such as the Winter Classic, All-Star Weekend and Stanley Cup final.
 
For this season, the apps have been enhanced to include features such as a star cam feed and NBC Sports’ Inside the Glass analysis from the national network broadcasts, which provides additional insight and information about the action from the coach’s or the bench’s perspective. In addition, all NHL games that air on the League’s U.S. broadcast partner NBC are now available to all Verizon Wireless customers using the Verizon editions of the NHL GameCenter App, both basic and premium.
 
“With more fans using mobile phones and tablets to access NHL content, we are focused on growing this area to provide the best customer experience possible,” said Keith Wachtel, senior vice-president of integrated sales at the NHL. “An important step in accomplishing this is to extend our partnership with Verizon, a leader in the wireless category, to bring our tech-savvy fans the premium NHL content they demand through the medium of their choice.”
 
Conley Smith, executive director of sponsorships for Verizon Wireless, added: “Bringing our technology combined with new and exclusive content to our customers is one of the exciting aspects of this relationship. The fast pace of NHL action is a perfect match with the blazingly fast speeds of Verizon’s leading 4G LTE network.”
 
Source: www.sportbusiness.com