Do you think that a reason the NHL isn't so popular in the US is because of a lack of marketing?

Question

If most hockey teams are run by Canadians, and they don't market hockey teams in Canada (mostly because they don't have to), do you think that's why hockey isn't taking off as a mainstream or major US sport? Because the Canadians who run the teams don't know how to market the sport?

[This is part II of II, by the way.]

I have nothing against Canadians. This is a serious question.

Answer 1

maybe- i dont think that its because we cant play it. i can't play hockey but i LOVE to watch it!

i wish they did market it more in the US. bring more hype... make a bigger deal.

here in philly we love our flyers- the city goes nuts for them, but since the lull last year- its been different.

we need to come back with a win and the spirit will be back haha

Answer 2

I think what others have said about hockey is very much the case; that in countries (Canada, Finland) where kids have grown up around ice and cold weather and hockey's played everywhere throughout their lives, you have a built-in fan base of people who know the sport and enjoy it. It perpetuates, year to year that way.

In the US, many of our states aren't hockey states because the weather's not conducive to the sport BUT

and this is a big BUT -- this is changing. It's a chicken and egg thing. In San Jose, CA no one knew about hockey until we had an expansion team and then suddenly hockey's become a huge boom sport. Tons of kids play it, adults are taking it up, and it's become tremendously popular over the time the Sharks have been there.

Is it enough to sustain a fan base? That's debatable. The Sharks have had decent attendance, but the lockout really hurt sales, and I think latecomers to the hockey scene won't be as robust in terms of their attendance and interest.

The answer *is* better marketing. I don't think it's a Canadian issue, I think it's -- again -- chicken and egg. Football and baseball are the money sports in the US, so they get the air time, the advertising bucks. The returns are exponentially greater. It makes sense to put your money where the money is, right?

At some level, though, you have to sell the sport. Locally the Sharks franchise did an excellent job of selling the team, and the team backed it up with good play, and outstanding outreach to the community.

At a larger level, the NHL has not kept this level of commitment to the sport, nor has every expansion team -- or even the regular teams -- kept up their end of the bargain.

For hockey to succeed in the US in terms of sheer economics, the teams have to bring it, and then the NHL has to sell it. If one group doesn't do a good job, we're all hosed.

I don't think most GMs in the US are Canadians, by the way. I think the lack of decent marketing has more to do with complacency than anything else. No one thinks hockey can do better than it is, so we maintain the status quo and the status quo is c**p.

Answer 3

It comes down to the following: as a kid you need the following to play the following sports:

Baseball:
One bat and one wiffle/tennis ball

Basketball:
One ball and one rim

Soccer:
One ball and some type of goal

Football:
One ball

Hockey:
One puck/ball and a stick for every single person who wants to play

When you are 8 years old and looking to go out and play with friends, it is a lot easier to have a single ball and start playing than have a good flat surface of some kind and a hockey stick for every kid looking to play.

Also, in baseball, if you don't have enough guys, you can have as many "invisible runners" on base as you need. In hockey it is a lot harder having an invisible left winger. ;)

Canada has the glory of ice in a lot of places for pond hockey, meanwhile only about a quarter of America has the same experience (if that).

Now even in spite of all of those reasons, I feel that hockey will continue to expand in America - in no small part due to women's hockey. Opening the door to more than half of the people in America may help add a new dynamic to the sport. Lets hope so.

So in summation, I don't believe it is the marketing as much as the simple reason of competition from sports at a young age that don't require as many objects to be purchased and used (and remembered to be brought home!)

Answer 4

I live in the state of Georgia. That's in the southern part of the U.S. As a georgian, I can speak for most when I say I can count the number of times it has gotten cold enough to freeze lakes or ponds on one hand.

Kids in the U.S. don't really have access to the sport because it doesn't get cold enough for kids to go out in the winter and play on the ice. Roller hockey has made it a little more feasible but it's still not that popular.

Most countries that have a big following of hockey are countries that get cold enough for the average joe to go out and play hockey at the local pond.

Hockey requires ice. Most of the United States doesn't get ice on a regular basis. SO the NHL isn't popular, not because of a lack of marketing, but more a lack of market. There isn't as much interest in it because most people don't grow up playing hockey. They grow up playing baseball and football. Neither of which require ice or any weather condition that is specific to a region.

Answer 5

marketing wont make hockey popular in the states, its a canadian thing. The nhl needs to recognize that it will never be the top sport in the USA, just like soccer had realised that it isnt ever going to be very popular in North America. There will always be fans(the diehards) and they will forever be hockey fans and do their best to introduce their friends to the game, but word of mouth can only get you so far. A marketing campaign wont do anything, because people will just think, its another one of those hockey commercials and change the channel... hockey wont be major in the US, so deal with it!

Answer 6

I live in Vancouver, Canada. We get snow in the winter maybe once every 2 years, and it's never cold enough to freeze lakes or ponds. However, there is a MASSIVE fan base in Vancouver, and every Canucks game is sold out.

Obviously having ice around makes it easier to just go out and play...but we never have ice outside here, and there are still tens of thousands to minor hockey players in this city.

It's not necessarily all about just having ice - it's also about the culture in which kids are raised. I think the nation of Canada has a culture that is more appreciative of ice hockey, due to the climate in the majority of our country. A sort of national culture has thus been born, which inspires kids to take up the game.

Answer 7

I think that OLN picking up a majority of the NHL games doesn't help the league at all...
If ESPN or ESPN 2 struck a deal with the leage, it would definatly help out.
I saw a few weeks ago that PEPSI CO. signed a contract with the NHL so hopefully that will help out with some of the marketing.

and yes... the year off didn't help anything at all... but in the end, i think that the year off and the new rule changes will be helpful to the game of hockey.

Answer 8

hockey on and off the ice is expensive sport, if main stream America was covered in ice i suppose there would be more fans and appreciation of the sport because every ones kids would be playing it , we would've grown up on the ice. but you are wrong when you think it is not popular here, there are major leagues and minor leagues and little leagues in my town and surrounding areas. we have kids playing on the ice and cement. i really think you need to get better information as to popularity heck they have hockey in Florida nowadays and ice don't grow there!

Answer 9

American just don't get it in some areas! They've been hooked on baseball and basketball and football forever! Hockey is Canada's sport - it doesn't need to be marketed here! You just LOVE IT! EH!

Answer 10

No because Canada is colder and has more ice and thats where Hockey is most liked.