The NHL is digitally recreating goals scored during the Stanley Cup Final on Roblox, the online video game with over 60 million daily active users.
Goals are being recreated as 3D Roblox highlights through the league’s puck and player tracking system, which collects data from sensors in the puck and player jerseys and cameras in arenas. Fans can select which Stanley Cup Final goals they want to be turned into a highlight with Roblox’s in-game NHL players.
“The introduction of 3D goal re-creations in NHL Blast furthers our commitment to use innovation to engage with new and existing fans,” NHL EVP David Lehanski said in a statement. “After years of investing in NHL EDGE technology, we are continuing to uncover ways in which the data can create entirely new fan experiences for younger audiences.”
NHL Blast is the league’s name for its Roblox integration, which follows the game’s existing collaborations with leagues such as the NFL, NASCAR, Tennis Australia, and brands Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Revenue for Roblox in 2022 was $2.2 billion, up 16% year over year, while the company’s stock has increased 48% since January.
In March, Disney also used NHL EDGE data from the league’s puck and player tracking system to air the NHL Big City Greens Classic on Disney Channel and ESPN, the league’s first live animated broadcast to appeal to young demographics.
Game 1 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights, broadcasted by TNT, reached 2.8 million viewers, the most-watched opening of the SCF on cable since 2002. This year’s Stanley Cup Final is the first since 1994 to be televised entirely on cable.
