The National Hockey League said it launched its first free ad-supported streaming channel on The Roku Channel.
The NHL Fast Channel will show highlights, condensed games plus archived content. It will also feature NHL Original Production programming like Welcome to the NHL, NHL Bound and documentaries featuring the game’s top players and teams.
Leading into tentpole events such as the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic, the NHL FAST Channel will feature event-specific content to get fans geared up for these marquee dates on the NHL calendar.
“The NHL FAST Channel is an exciting addition to our content distribution portfolio that will serve quality NHL content to a broader audience, a vital component in expanding the reach of our game and growing our fanbase,” said Chris Foster, NHL VP, Digital Business Development. “We are thrilled to work with Roku on this new service to deliver a unique and creative NHL programming experience. The NHL Fast Channel will be an always-on destination for passionate NHL fans in the United States who are constantly looking to get their fix of dynamic NHL content.”
The NHL’s FAST channel is using technology from Amagi for broadcast playout in the cloud and global distribution to connected devices.
“The Roku Channel is delighted to be the inaugural partner of the NHL as the League makes its exciting expansion into FAST. We look forward to working with the NHL to further broaden its audience by connecting this brand-new channel to our robust audience made up of millions of streamers,” said Ashley Hovey, Head of The Roku Channel, AVOD. “Sports is a valuable content category for consumers, and we are thrilled to provide free and easy access to programming from one of the most popular Leagues in all of professional sports to our audience.”
The NHL FAST channel will be available on additional platforms in the coming months. ■
