Google & the NHL
The NHL and Google have inked a multi-year deal to provide NHL video content to Google Video.
While few details have been announced, it looks like visitors to the new NHL on Google Video site will be able to find 3 kinds of content:
- Classic Games such as the final game of the '94 Ranger's Cup run and game 6 of the '67 finals, the last time the Leafs hoisted the big hardware.
- Delayed recent games such as last week's Senators-Bruins or Rangers-Coyotes matches.
- User-generated content like this fan-produced Ovechkin highlight reel.
The NHL's release makes it clear at some of the content will be ad-free for a short period of time, after which they will likely offer a combination of ad-supported and "premium" (for-fee) content.
By placing their video content on Google, the NHL is obviously hoping
it will be picked up and embedded on other sites by webmasters &
bloggers This looks like a pretty smart move by the league. Making their video
content easy to find and re-use will give the league pathways to reach new,
non-traditional audiences. As it develops, the deal should also generate new advertising revenues for the league.
The deal fits into a larger Google strategy to deliver licensed,
copyrighted content through Google Video & YouTube. Since the
Google acquisition, YouTube has been working to remove commercial,
copyrighted material such as material from the Daily Show & the Colbert Report.
Now Google Video (and presumably
YouTube as well) will be able to legally present NHL videos. More
importantly, Google will be able to legally wrap advertising around the
content,
generating revenue for itself and the league. Look for Google Video to
enter similar agreements with other pro sports for their video content. How
long before we're able to surf over to something like the "Google Video Sports Center" to watch the latest highlights from the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB,
NASL, NCAA, the Premiership... ?
For those with an appetite for lengthy discussions of the complex copyright issues surrounding the Google YouTube deal, skate over to Mark Cuban's blog - Blog Maverick. Cuban thinks the YouTube acquisition was crazy.
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