YouTube laces up deal to show NHL clips

[Fred Derf Veteran]

YouTube laces up deal to show NHL clips

Last Updated: Thursday, November 16, 2006 | 11:20 AM ET

CBC News

Hockey fans will soon be able to see highlights from NHL games on the popular video-sharing website YouTube under a groundbreaking partnership between the company and the league.

The deal, announced Wednesday, marks the first time that a professional sports league has agreed to share content with YouTube, which allows users to upload, view and share video clips online.

"The agreement will enable users to access video highlights of NHL regular season games, which will be available within 24 hours of the original broadcast, in addition to other on-and-off-ice footage," the partners said in a news release on Wednesday.

Beginning later in November, the league will provide YouTube free, short and entertaining clips from regular games, according to the release.

"What a great way to showcase the talent of our athletes," NHL executive Doug Perlman said in the release.

The NHL will have its own channel on the service so fans can find hockey content in one place, and the league will also have "Branded Watch Pages," where the NHL can put its logo on the pages on which its videos play.

YouTube's vice-president of content, Kevin Donahue, said the deal will help the NHL reach a vast new and young audience.

Under the deal, the NHL will be able to remove content from YouTube and share revenue from advertising placed adjacent to the content.

YouTube has been an internet phenomenon since its creation in early 2005, becoming one of the world's most rapidly growing websites.

It's free and allows users to see and share video clips, which range from online confessionals and popular comedy skits to violent scenes of backyard wrestling and battles in Iraq. Users post more than 60,000 clips a day.

However, it has faced some controversy over the posting of copyrighted materials ? including from the NHL.

Time magazine named YouTube "Invention of the Year" for 2006.

Google agreed in early November to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion US in stock.

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/11...hl-youtube.html

[n3wt]

Thats wicked eh.

[Des429]

well as long as they dont make you pay for anything. i hate google for that, u do a search and half the results u have to pay for.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

well as long as they dont make you pay for anything. i hate google for that, u do a search and half the results u have to pay for.

Beginning later in November, the league will provide YouTube free, short and entertaining clips from regular games, according to the release.

[User6060]

mmmm can't wait to get some quality nhl highlight straight from youtube

[Fred Derf Veteran]

I'm sure it's all the same stuff that gets shown on TSN, SportsNet and The Score but it'll be particularly nice for those that live outside a hockey hotbed.

[Des429]

Beginning later in November, the league will provide YouTube free, short and entertaining clips from regular games, according to the release.

cool, didn't see that

[fkid]

This is silly because they already have video highlights from nearly every game the day after on NHL.com. I guess they're just outsourcing or something.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

/me giggles at the irony of that statement. "Hockey Hotbed"

In cities like Toronto, NCAA Football & NCAA Basketball are pretty much non-entities. NASCAR is broadcast on TV but there isn't much news coverage. Indoor Lacrosse gets more attention but then again it is rather hockey-like.

If something happens in the world of hockey during the off-season then chances are it will still be on the first page of the sports section. During those 30 minute SportCentre-type shows the first 10 minutes (at least) are hockey clips from the night before or previews of the night's matchups. The radio call in shows are dominated by hockey.

Kids growing up want to be hockey players. Usually, due to the cost of the ice, it happens outside of school. While there is some interest in high school football (although students rarely attend games in any significant number) there is virtually no interest in baseball or basketball.

Even for the Greater Toronto Hockey League (for 14 and 15 year olds) they charge admission to watch the games.

Nothing else really matters (at least, not relative to hockey).

If you want half decent seats for a non-playoff Leafs game then figure on about $300 a ticket.