The NHL-Google Hook-Up

NEW YORK -- NHL Interactive Cyber Enterprises (ICE), the digital arm of the National Hockey League (NHL), today announced a multi-year deal to provide NHL video content to Google Video. The NHL will provide in-season full-length games on delay to Google Video at http://video.google.com/nhl.html.

Google also will receive select NHL classic games. In addition to the game content, the NHL also will work with Google to allow certain NHL themed user-generated content on http://video.google.com/nhl.html. This is the first time Google Video has worked with a major professional sports league in such a manner.

To celebrate its 89th season and this increased access to video content, the NHL will be offering its content for free -- without ads -- for the first two weeks of November.

"When web users are searching for diverse video content, Google Video is the first place they go, just as NHL.com is the first place hockey fans go when they want NHL video," said Keith Ritter, President of NHL ICE. "The combination of our content and Google's massive reach is a terrific pairing, and we're excited to add fan-generated content to the mix."

Pricing is still being finalized, but games are likely to cost $2.99 each after a free trial for the first two weeks of November. The deal arrives after a beta test on Google Video, as well as an offering last spring in which condensed NHL playoff games were sold on Apple' iTunes store.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is a revenue-sharing pact common to video download agreements. Google will create an NHL-themed portion of the store where the official league content will be joined by hockey-oriented, user-generated videos.