Mark Messier says ‘change’ is inevitable as the NHL enters the streaming age on Amazon

During his quarter century in the National Hockey League, Mark Messier witnessed dramatic technological changes in the game, from the advent of lighter hockey sticks to the use of video reviews.

Now the Canadian Hall of Famer believes hockey is ready for another leap into the streaming era.

Messier will be one of the on-air talents for Amazon Prime Video’s new NHL broadcast, Prime Monday night hockeythe league’s first exclusive national broadcast package with a digital-only streaming service in Canada.

Shows will be broadcast from the home team’s arena starting on Monday when the Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Center – with American sports announcer John Forslund doing the play-by-play.

Amazon’s new venture could set the stage for a major shakeup in broadcast rights if Rogers Communications Inc.’s current 12-year deal ends. with the NHL ends in 2026.

“(I learned) I have to evolve as a player if I want to be able to play for 26 years. I think the same can be said about the way we bring the game to life for people watching on TV,” Messier said during a phone call from Toronto.

“Technology is constantly changing: the sophistication of cameras and the ideas of how we engage and immerse fans in the game have all changed.

“You have to be willing to change to keep up.”

Prime Monday night hockey Broadcasts include Rapid Recap, an interactive feature where those participating in an in-progress game can watch a two-minute highlights package created with artificial intelligence.

Mark Shopiro, head of Prime Video Canada, said more innovations will be introduced throughout the season, but the current focus is on “getting the broadcast right and giving the fans a great product.”

Amazon has acquired the rights to broadcast all national NHL regular-season Monday night games for the next two seasons through a deal with Rogers. The move has fueled speculation that Amazon will bid for the Canadian broadcast rights to all NHL games when they become available after the 2025-2026 season.

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“If anyone thinks that in two years, Amazon – a huge company that is clearly very optimistic about making a mark in the sports world – is going to say, ‘We’re just going to do this for two years, just mess around and see. where it goes and then goes,’ I’d be baffled to be honest,” said Adnan Virk, who will co-host Prime Monday night hockey with Andi Petrillo.

“I can’t imagine them not being part of the package.”

When asked about the NHL broadcast rights, Shopiro said he “cannot speculate on future deals.”

A spokesperson for Rogers said the Canadian media giant plans to “have a seat at the table” if the NHL rights come up for renewal, but declined to comment further.

NHL’s chief content officer and executive vice president Steve Mayer could not speak about the upcoming negotiations, but said “we hope this is a long relationship at the NHL with Amazon and obviously we’re just getting started with these two years. ”

Rogers’ Sportsnet will continue to broadcast national games on Wednesdays for the next two years Hockey night in Canada on Saturdays, also available on CBC and other Rogers channels.

One observer said the NHL is the biggest winner in the Amazon-Rogers deal because the price for the broadcast rights is now “inflated,” adding that hockey fans are the biggest losers.

“You force your current subscribers to subscribe somewhere else. If you want to watch national games on Monday nights, you have to have Amazon Prime,” said Laurel Walzak, a sports media professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.

“Instead of the subscription costs for Sportsnet, you now also pay subscription costs for Amazon Prime. So the fan pays double.”

She said this aligns with a larger trend in sports, where leagues are now signing rights deals with multiple parties.

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In July, the NBA signed an 11-year deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon.

Petrillo, who has worked for CBC and TSN, said she understands why there might be some pushback against the NHL’s move to streaming.

“I know exactly where people come from when you get so used to something all your life – channel surfing, sitting down and just wanting to subscribe to one thing and want to know everything about it,” says Petrillo, who will also host a Prime . show on Thursday NHL coast to coastwith highlights, analyzes and interviews.

“But people’s habits determine where the industry goes. And more and more people have cut the cord. They’re going the way of streaming… We’re going where they are.”

Amazon hopes to captivate hockey fans with top-tier broadcasts, using 30 HD cameras per episode that film in high dynamic range at 60 frames per second.

“I think the technology and the advancements in cameras and angles, the fact that we can put cameras in different positions than we’ve ever been able to do in the past, will really take the experience to the next level,” Messier says , who joins a team of analysts. including Blake Bolden, Thomas Hickey, Shane Hnidy and Jody Shelley.

Virk said Prime Monday night hockey will lean harder on statistics than most hockey shows.

“We’re going to use numbers in a way that sets it apart from other broadcasts. We will use more analytics,” he said.

“I don’t mean to disparage the other broadcasts, but I think this Amazon broadcast will be very smart and (targeted) at educated hockey fans.”

Additionally, he said the show’s theme song, recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is “a banger.”

“I’ll tell you right now: (as someone who) grew up with the theme of ‘Hockey Night in Canada,’ the music alone is going to make people pay attention.”

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