Carolina Hurricanes: Twitter and Disney Partner with the NHL

The Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL is partnering with Disney and Twitter

The NHL is partnering up with Twitter and Disney to bring the playoffs to the fans like never before thanks to interactive technology. Be prepared to see the Carolina Hurricanes like never before

There will not be any fans in attendance in neither Edmonton nor Toronto when the playoffs kick off starting this weekend. But that doesn’t mean that the league isn’t dedicated to ensuring that the game is brought to the fans in the most interactive way possible.

The NHL has partnered with Twitter and Disney to expand the way that the game is broadcast. Not only will the games be broadcasted on TV both locally and nationally, but thanks to social media and new technology, fans will be able to have an effect on what they get to see.

Kicking off when the Carolina Hurricanes face off against the Rangers Noon on Saturday, August 1st, and for each subsequent week during the playoffs, the NHL will select two game nights a week that will feature live look-ins on twitter. Fans will be able to vote for the games they would like to see featured in these look-ins on the NHL’s Twitter handle.

The NHL will announce the winning games on the mornings of the day. During the Conference Finals, no less than five games will be featured as Live Look-In games. The Stanley Cup Finals will feature every single game as a look-in game so fans do not miss the Stanley Cup being raised to close out the 2019-2020 NHL Season.

These Live Look-Ins will feature online streaming of the first two minutes of the first and third periods of the selected games during the Play-in/Qualifying and First Round. During the second round and onwards, they will feature the first two minutes of the first period and the last two minutes of the third period.

This collaboration focuses on the already strong twitter environment for NHL hockey and uses it to continue to grow the sport. Heidi Browning, NHL Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, mentions just how much twitter brings to the sport:

"“NHL fans are fiercely passionate and are among the most engaged sports fans on social media.”“Everything our fans do shows us they want to have deeper connections with the League and our teams, and this exciting partnership with Twitter and Disney Streaming Services – especially during this unprecedented time of social distancing – provides the perfect platform to facilitate fan interaction and conversation, as well as drive broadcast tune-in.”“The 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers and Playoffs are going to be a wildly exciting and unique time for our game, and we’re thrilled to provide our fans this opportunity to demonstrate their team pride through voting for the games they want to see and to engage in conversation on social during game broadcasts.”More from Cardiac Cane2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase: Takeaways from the Canes’ Strong Showing in FloridaWeek Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NCDerek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A HurricaneThe Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s FutureNoesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes"

By showing limited play online and helping fans get directed to where the game is on TV, the league hopes to both drive TV viewership up as well as create a social media conversation about the games like never before. TJ Adeshola, head of U.S. sports, Twitter recognizes that the already existing NHL conversation is about to get a serious boost:

"“As the puck drops on the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Twitter will once again be home to an awesome mix of premium NHL content and real-time hockey conversation. The appetite for live sports content on Twitter is massive and as teams hit the ice in the coming weeks, you’ll feel the roar of the crowd on Twitter during each round of the NHL postseason.”"

So where does Disney come on? They will be handling the actual streaming service that will be fed through Twitter. That includes both the live NHL action as well as video highlights during each round to include any twitter moments such as top tweets from top hockey personalities and any content partners.

Barry Tishgart, SVP and General Manager, Hockey of Disney Streaming Services predicts that this new service will enhance the games to make up for the lost attendance due to the pandemic:

"“The virtual fan experience has taken on a new meaning this year and we are excited to be partnering with Twitter and the NHL to launch these new interactive experiences for hockey fans during these unprecedented times. The games are back and the power is in the hands of the fans to vote and determine the action they want to see.”"

So make sure to follow @NHL before the playoffs start to get in on the voting, stream live game look-ins, and participate in ongoing polls.