NBC and the National Hockey League are teaming up for their newest venture, the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown, a nationally televised game airing on the Day after Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Similar to the NHL Winter Classic, the league and NBC are teaming up for marketing and promotional opportunities. One includes a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Another is having Discover Card sponsor the game and affixing its name to the game. And it’s a way to bring the NHL into the forefront after the Thanksgiving holiday.
This Black Friday, NBC airs the defending Stanley Cup Champions Boston Bruins hosting the Detroit Red Wings in an Original Six matchup. Mike “Doc” Emrick, Ed Olcyzk and Pierre McGuire will call the game live from TD Garden in Boston. Liam McHugh and Mike Milbury will co-host the intermissions live from the Garden.
It all starts at 1 p.m. ET on Friday.
NBC SPORTS DROPS PUCK ON NHL COVERAGE WITH FIRST-EVER 2011 NHL THANKSGIVING SHOWDOWN ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 AT 1 P.M. ET
Boston Bruins-Detroit Red Wings Showdown Marks Earliest NHL Regular Season Game on U.S. Network Television in More Than 20 Years
“This game is a great measuring stick for two of the League’s premiere teams.” – Mike Milbury
“It’s a combination of a terrific present and a glorious past.” – Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick
“This has the makings of an early season playoff game.” – Pierre McGuireNEW YORK (November 22, 2011)— A new tradition will begin this year when NBC Sports drops the puck on its NHL coverage earlier than ever with the inaugural 2011 NHL Thanksgiving ShowdownTM on Friday, November 25, at 1 p.m. ET between the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings.
This will mark the earliest NHL regular-season broadcast on network television in more than 20 years and the only time these two teams will meet during the regular season. The Friday-after-Thanksgiving matinee is a local Bruins tradition that began in 1990.
“The NHL and NBC have a great partnership and we are always looking for new events to help showcase this sport,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer for NBC Sports and VERSUS. “As a Boston native, I’m excited to take what has turned into a great local tradition – a Bruins game on the Friday after Thanksgiving – and introduce it to national audience by airing it on NBC, and simultaneously starting our broadcast coverage earlier than ever.”
In an effort to provide an even better viewing experience for fans, the inaugural NHL Thanksgiving Showdown will feature a microphone on one of the referees (Kelly Sutherland) to capture on-ice audio for the first time in a regular-season game on NBC.
The team of Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (‘Inside the Glass’ analyst) will call the action in Boston. NBC will surround its game coverage with pre-game, intermission and post-game reports live from the arena with studio host Liam McHugh and analyst Mike Milbury.
EMRICK ON THE GAME: “It’s a combination of a terrific present and a glorious past. The Bruins are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and they just ran the table in a five-game home stand for the first time in 25 years. Detroit started the season winning the first five, and put together another streak of four straight wins. The styles contrast. These are the two oldest U.S.-based NHL franchises and two of the most prominent U.S. franchises in winning Stanley Cups. They have been playing each other for 85 years.”
MCGUIRE ON THE GAME: “This game pits two original six teams who have lifted the Cup recently. Both teams have to show urgency for points and because of that need, this has the makings of an early season playoff game.”
And because I can, I include a rendering of the NHL float that will be seen on Thanksgiving Day during the Macy’s Parade.
And a few more bullet points from the National Hockey League on the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown.
- The NHL Thanksgiving Showdown is the first product of the League’s new 10-year partnership with NBC Sports Group
- The Friday of Thanksgiving weekend – a time with heavy male television viewership – is not “owned” by any sports property
- Nov. 25 is the earliest an NHL regular season game has been broadcast on network television in more than 20 years.
- The Showdown will benefit from strong holiday lead-in programming on NBC, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
- The game created a platform to sell a title sponsorship to Discover – and then In an example of NHL-NBC cross-promotion and synergy – generated another high profile opportunity for the NHL partner: a float in the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade to promote the Showdown. The float, a first for the NHL, will feature NHL notables along with Grammy-winning artist and star of NBC’s “The Voice,” Cee Lo Green.
And there you have it.
