NEW YORK (July 18, 2023) – The National Hockey League (NHL®) today announced MVP Index, a leading sponsorship measurement and valuation platform, will become the NHL's strategic partner for valuation and asset measurements for the League's award-winning Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DED) program.

DED, an advanced approach to dynamic dasherboard advertising, debuted at the start of the 2022-23 season and allows for the digital replacement of camera-visible arena dasherboards within local, national, and international NHL game broadcasts. MVP will use its specialized asset-first detection technology to pick up and provide precise, true, and reliable media and brand values for a logo, slogan, and image on DED signage.

“Following a successful first season of implementing DED across the League, we’re now focused on continuing to evolve the technology and deliver more value and new sponsorship opportunities for the League, our Clubs and their media and business partners,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Chief Business Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. “Through MVP Index’s trusted and innovative valuation technology, we will be able to provide more accurate valuations and asset measurement that will better align with brands and agencies expectations.”

MVP has created a comprehensive and transparent methodology for DED valuations and asset management, which calculates the value of an asset shown on DED based on DED size, location, clutter, and signage duration, as well as overall event value where DED are placed. Additional valuation methodology includes static assets recognized and valued based on different camera angles alongside DED takeovers.

“The NHL’s DED program is a truly transformative moment for the business of sports and entertainment,” said Brian Foley, CEO of MVP Index. “The development and implementation of the DED system is a major milestone in the League’s mission to provide powerful new activation opportunities for their current and future corporate partners, and it is vitally important to ensure DED are supported by a transparent system of measurement that’s capable of delivering indisputable proof of value at a hyper-granular level. The League ran an extensive evaluation across the entire ecosystem of measurement providers in order to identify the right partner capable of meeting these high expectations, and we’re thrilled that MVP was tapped to bring this vision to life.”

NHL games on broadcast and streaming platforms will be scanned by MVP for assets, logos, and objects to provide DED valuations. On social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter – images, captions, and text will also be scanned for assets, logos, and objects to define the value of a DED social media post, including engagement metrics (comments, shares, and likes) along with audience post metrics – followers and reach.

The DED technology solution is provided by Supponor, a world leading technology provider focused on raising standards for innovative commercial strategies through digital signage, and uses remote, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based keying technology to program dasherboard advertising during game broadcasts by placing dynamic graphics over the camera-visible arena dasherboards. DED graphics can be displayed during games in a market-specific way wherever the game feed is broadcast resulting in dynamic and targeted branding and promotional messaging that was not previously achievable.

The NHL’s DED solution allows for never-before-seen dynamic dasherboard branding and messaging featuring URLs, flighted marketing campaigns, co-branded official designations, social media integration, QR codes and more.  Additionally, the DED display is programmable into multiple formats from a single-advertiser full-dasherboard takeover to a split zone format with ten advertisers brands. Among other advantages, the DED system allows for the opportunity for Clubs to provide their corporate partners and advertisers with this valuable exposure in both their home and away game broadcasts. ‍

NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. © NHL 2023.  All Rights Reserved.‍

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About the NHL‍

The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers - league, team and player accounts combined - across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, WBD Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordics, Baltics, and Poland; YLE in Finland; Nova in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Sky Sports and ProSieben in Germany; MySports in Switzerland; and CCTV5+ in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Original Productions and NHL Studios produce compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.

The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone® initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.

About MVP Index‍

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, MVP is the leading omnichannel sponsorship measurement and valuation platform across Sports and Entertainment. Their roster of partners includes Fortune 500 brands such as Amazon, Apple/Beats by Dre, Ally Financial, and Ford, as well as the trusted currency for the world's top leagues and properties like the NHL, PGA TOUR, Dallas Cowboys, and Fenway Sports Group. For more information, visit www.mvpindex.com.‍

Media Contacts

‍Brad Klein
NHL‍
bklein@nhl.com‍

Josh Feldman
VP of Marketing
MVP Index‍
jfeldman@mvpindex.com