Breaking the Ice: Inside the NHL’s $1.6B Sponsorship Season

“The NHL’s multi-layered broadcast sponsorship strategy and expanding social media ecosystem are delivering unmatched value for sponsors,” said Jay Prasad, CEO of Relo Metrics.

Click here to unlock the full copy of the 2024 NHL Brands Insight Report

Broadcast Still Dominates, But Digital is Gaining Serious Ground

Broadcast accounted for 93% of total SMV, proving it's still the gold standard when it comes to consistent sponsor visibility. That said, social media is catching up fast, with a 67% year-over-year increase in value—fueled by more content, player-focused storytelling, and viral moments.

Tik Tok is Hockey's Breakout Platform 

TikTok exploded this season:

• +62% in branded content posts
  
  
• +38% in engagements per post
  
  
• +27% in exposures per post
  
  

Mic’d-up moments, crowd reactions, and behind-the-scenes content resonated most. Interestingly, high-performing posts came not just from NHL-owned channels but also from media accounts like @espn, @cbssports, and @anaheimducks.

Cultural Moments Drive Massive Brand Value 

Two events delivered huge spikes in exposure:

• Four Nations Face-Off replaced the All-Star Game, and its content drove 120% more media value than last year’s All-Star Week.
• Alexander Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal created one of the season’s most shared moments.

Broadcast Inventory Continues to Deliver

The NHL produced more brand exposures per game than the NBA, MLB, or NFL—22% more than the next-highest league—thanks to the depth of its inventory and strategic camera angles.

Top-performing broadcast assets included:

• Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DEDs): $499M in value
  
  
• Center ice logos
  
  
• Static dasherboards

Zone placement mattered: DEDs located in Zones 2 and 4 averaged the highest screen time per cycle, making them prime real estate for advertisers.

Who Won the Season? A Look at the Top Performing Brands

The 2024–25 season saw 3,574 brands gain exposure, with 357 of them surpassing $1M in media value. Top brands by total SMV included:

• Scotiabank – $26.1M
• CCM – $27.1M 
• Toyota – $30M
• FanDuel – $22M
• Bell – $29.8M
  
  

Financial Services emerged as the top category, with 35 brands in the sector clearing the $1M mark. Telecom value was highly concentrated among a few major players—Bell, Rogers, Verizon, and Spectrum—each benefiting from high-visibility partnerships and naming rights.

Click here to unlock the full copy of the 2024 NHL Brands Insight Report.