Display Technology

NHL digital signage receives mixed fan reaction

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November 8, 2022

The NHL's recent advertising decision to use enhanced digital signage advertising has received mixed reactions from fans, according to a report from AdAge.com.

As reported by Digital Signage Today, the NHL this fall announced its move to digitally enhanced signage, also known as "digitally enhanced dasherboards" (DEDs) in a bid to serve targeted, programmatic advertising to TV viewers that is different from the static advertising physically at the stadium. TV viewers can also receive differentiated, targeted ads based on their location and other variables.

The system was developed in partnership with London-based Supponer, a live, virtual ad firm. It is designed to create the illusion of a single, physical ad in the space where multiple ads can be placed in real time, assuming there are no glitches (like the one below that has gone viral), and ads are currently sold in 30-second increments.

The NHL maintains that such glitches are rare, along with negative reactions related to them, and that DEDs are the future of sports advertising: "If it can be done in hockey it can be done in any sport around the world," Keith Wachtel, CBO and senior EVP at the NHL, said in the report.

The system relies on a self-teaching artificial intelligence system to manage the appearance of ads, in which the occasional glitch serves to teach the system. "Sometimes you can only train it after you've seen an issue," James Gambrell, CEO at Supponer, said in the release. "It's to be expected that you'll have a few glitches, those will smooth out and you'll have fewer."

"While we do plan to maximize ROI from this new medium, we'll also remain cognizant and protective of the consumer experience," Emily Weaver, manager of brand partnerships at Chevrolet, said in an emailed statement quoted by the report. "We're constantly observing games and other advertisers' executions, and scrutinizing our own work. We want to utilize the full extent of the format — regardless of what the message is — without negatively impacting fans' viewing experience."