
It’s no secret that the hierarchy within the ‘Big 4’ Sports Leagues is interested in continuing to explore international expansion. The NFL and NBA are both doing this aggressively, continuing to expand the number of games and the scope of games to other countries, notably European markets. The MLB is perhaps not as aggressive, but it does not lack ambition. Of course, the NHL has traveled abroad, and it has been doing so for decades. Naturally, the league has been concentrating on countries where ice hockey is mainstream, such as Germany, Czechia, and the Scandinavian countries. In recent years, the UK has been an auspicious absentee from the list of NHL international games, and it may be a missed opportunity.
Back in 2007, the NHL opened the regular season in Europe for the first time. London was the chosen venue for a double-header between the Kings and Ducks. The league has not been back in an official capacity since. Some of the reasoning makes a lot of sense. After all, despite the UK’s relatively big market size compared to other European countries, you might argue that there is more fertile opportunity for growth in places where hockey is already highly popular.
That said, the UK has potential. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) has grown in stature since its inception in 2003, although challenges remain in terms of revenues and broadcast partners. It has a growing network of amateur and junior leagues, with plenty of support at grassroots level. As to the latter, rinks can sometimes serve as community hubs for youth in some of the UK’s northern cities, fostering an interest in the sport. Great Britain has also had some success on the international stage in recent years.
The NFL offers a blueprint for success and a challenge
We should, of course, address the elephant in the room – the NFL. It has really targeted the UK market over the last decade or so, with the three-game London Series now a fixed part of the NFL regular season. The growth has been remarkable, something that we can chart in the volume of television coverage and social media activity. It does not mean that there isn’t room for the NHL, yet it does represent a challenge nonetheless.
Yet, the NFL’s influence is somewhat London-centric, just as the NBA focuses on Paris. The allure of the UK capital is plain to see, but it’s worth noting that the “regions” – Yorkshire, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are also the hotbeds of ice hockey support. The most prominent and successful ice hockey teams, including the Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers, in the UK come from these regions, and one would argue that it is no coincidence that they are based away from London. The point, as such, is that there may be an opportunity to target areas away from the capital.