In the days leading up to the Stanley Cup Final, Prime Video has announced it’s launching a new NHL docuseries.
While it likely won’t include a behind-the-scenes look into the feud between John Tavares and the CRA, you’ll get to see some of hockey’s biggest — and famously uncharismatic — stars on and off the ice. The show doesn’t have a title yet, kind of like the Leafs in the last five decades.
Why it’s happening: This is more than sports leagues trying to ride on the success of Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Streamers are rolling out new shows to build excitement around the live sports that they’ve spent millions, and even billions, buying broadcast rights to.
- Amazon just nabbed the rights to all Monday night NHL games in Canada, and Netflix paid ~US$150 million to stream two NFL Christmas Day games this year.
- Netflix is debuting its second NFL-partnered docuseries this year, and Apple TV is working on a show about Major League Soccer (as it owns full broadcasting rights).
Why it matters: Hockey might be in the spotlight in Canada, but for the rest of the world, it isn’t that popular. Like previous series for Formula One, golf, and cycling, a new show can put hockey in front of a global audience and turn some of Netflix’s non-Canadian subscribers into fans.—LA