Redesigned NHL.com Launching Tomorrow; Streaming of Games for $169

The NHL tomorrow will release a public beta of its dramatically redesigned NHL.com, the second part of a major two-step digital reworking that began in April with the NHL Network Online video portal. The new site, marking the second major revamp of NHL.com since '06, involved a 10-month development effort overseen by a large collection of league personnel led by John Collins, Andre Mika, Larry Gelfand and Perry Cooper; California-based interactive marketing firm AKQA; and NeuLion. The new look, utilizing a darker motif dubbed “black ice,” employs a predictably heavy use of video content, Getty still photos, and user-generated content. Navigation and search functions were completely rebuilt, and NHL executives are also vowing a more assertive editorial voice. “This is such a big change, a massive change really,” said Mika, NHL VP/Broadband & New Media. “The video content we began with in the spring was the start our actually programming to our fans. This is the next huge step where we’ve got a full destination hockey fans will feel they’re going to get a lot out of it.” Other areas greatly expanded in the new site include historical data and statistics, much of which has been tagged with relevant video, and fantasy content in part through a new deal with Yahoo Sports.
Sports Business Daily

The National Hockey League sees the new service, called GameCenter Live, as a way to serve its young, tech-savvy fans, many of whom don't live in the hometown of their favorite hockey team, and can't catch its games on television. The league plans to charge online subscribers a relatively steep $169 a season year for the streaming-video service. League executives say they can justify that price because of the large number of out-of-town fans who follow its teams and are desperate for the chance to watch their favorites play.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122212448706965077.html