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NHL Misses The Point Of Putting Clips On YouTube

from the not-quite dept

Wed, Feb 21st 2007 8:18am — Joseph Weisenthal

A few months ago, the NHL got some attention for its embrace of online video, and for encouraging fans to upload game clips to the internet. The league's stance seemed far more progressive than the fairly backwards attitudes of other sports leagues, which have taken a very strict stance on who can do what with league content. But it looks like the NHL may be missing the point a little bit. While the league has put many clips on YouTube, it's selected to prevent the clips from being embedded elsewhere. So if you're a fan of the NHL, forget putting your favorite clips on your blog or MySpace profile. Of course, it's the fact that YouTube offers embedding that makes it so popular. It's what makes it a social site with a loyal user base, as opposed to just a place that has online videos. Even Viacom, which recently pulled its clips off YouTube to place them on its own site will still allow embedding. For several years, particularly since the strike, the NHL has seen its popularity dwindle. Making it harder for people to share their enthusiasm for the game really doesn't make much sense. Update: And then again, maybe not. A commenter points us to a statement from the NHL in which the it claims not to be against embedding, and that the whole thing was simply an an error on YouTube's end. Perhaps Chad Hurley needs to spend five minutes in the penalty box. Further Update: The NHL is now saying that the mistake was on their part, not on YouTube's. Chad Hurley can leave the penalty box.

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11 Comments

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Apennismightier, 21 Feb 2007 @ 9:39am

Workaround
Couldn't you just copy an embedding source code and change it to the URL of the clip?
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Feb 2007 @ 9:46am

It's counter-intuitive to block embedding. Would the NHL rather drive all the traffic in YouTube (thereby growing YouTube's dominance) or drive traffic to its fan sites (thereby relegating YouTube to a back-end service provider). Blocking embedding actually gives YouTube more strength in the relationship. Duh!

Please leave a couple of tickets at Will Call for the SJ Sharks and will it call it even for explaining how to run your own business to you.
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Andrew W, 21 Feb 2007 @ 10:11am

Correction
The NHL has announced that it never intended to block embedding, that it was a glitch on YouTube's part: http://www.ericmcerlain.com/offwingopinion/archives/007199.php
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_Jon, 21 Feb 2007 @ 10:12am

Even without the correction, which is good to read, I think the NHL is in self-destruct mode.

I am not going to go into all of the details of how the current leadership is ruining the game. But, geeze, it's not worth watching at all anymore. A.Big.Yawn.
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poploser, 21 Feb 2007 @ 10:21am

Boo
I'll admit the NHL has its problems, but no need for hockey bashing. Hockey is a great sport, both to watch and play, and I've enjoyed the NHL more this year than I have the previous 10.
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PhalanX, 21 Feb 2007 @ 10:42am

Re: Boo
I'm with poploser on this one.. There is no need for Hockey bashing. The REAL reason why the NHL is dwindling is because people refuse to watch it because its 'not interesting'. Its 'not interesting' because people dont understand the sport and they just want to watch sports where the score is 78-64 by the end... or sports where there is a score every 30 seconds then 5 minutes of wasted nothing between plays.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Feb 2007 @ 10:45am

Last year's playoffs were the most exciting I've ever watched. It made me hooked on hockey again.

Maybe the average fan doesn't want to embed a clip somewhere else. Maybe the average fan just wants to go straight to YouTube, type in a search for a certain player and game and watch it. Glitch or no glitch, I think it's pretty cool to look up a Sidney Crosby goal on YouTube.

That should be enough to raise interest in hockey.
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AMP, 21 Feb 2007 @ 11:05am

Re: Re: Boo
That's a great way to generate interest in the NHL...alienate non-fans by telling them that they "don't get it". Generally speaking I think that of all the professional sports, the NHL does the worst job of marketing it's product.
If people only wanted to see high scoring games, they wouldn't watch baseball or golf, both pretty highly rated sports. In the past 5 years NASCAR has probably done the best job of marketing their product. I am not a NASCAR fan, but they have done a lot recently to expand their fan base, and that includes reaching out to those people who didn't understand it.
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CodeGator, 21 Feb 2007 @ 11:16am

Re: _Jon & Boo & PhalanX
I don't see where _Jon was bashing hockey - he said the NHL was in self destruct mode, not hockey. I tend to agree with _Jon on that matter. I am a longtime hockey fan and I can't stand the lousy officiating or the silly rule changes in today's NHL. I could rant on this subject for evah, but I won't :o)

I also agree that the league missed the mark by restricting the way I use game clips. It's obviously in their own best interest for as many folks as possible to watch hocky being played. Even if it does involved shockingly bad officiating, ugly jersey's, no physicality and shootouts! :o(
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PhalanX, 21 Feb 2007 @ 11:23am

Re: Re: _Jon & Boo & PhalanX
Maybe he wasnt 'bashing' hockey per say, but I think calling it "A.Big.Yawn' was quite unnecessary.

I agree that the new rules and the jersey changes are completely bogus. Ive been watching hockey ever since I was born (I'm only 23) and I still LOVE watching it, though I may not agree with the changes theyve made. Its still hockey. The officiating does indeed suck. Theyre ruining the physical aspect of the game, IMO.

On the youtube option of embedding, I can agree that was a poor choice, even if it was a mistake.
_________

Bring me back my Whalers!!!
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poploser, 21 Feb 2007 @ 1:05pm

Heh...
I miss the Whalers, too. Best uniforms in the league!

I'm not a huge fan of the officiating this year - too many shitty calls, but I understand what it's all about and hopefully it'll open the game up in years to come. But the talent level in the league is the best it's been since the mid to late 80s. Pittsburgh is a riot to watch! But yeah, the NHL's marketing department has been their weak point for a LONG time.

I thought it was great when they set up their Google Video channel for people to watch games. Although, once I tried it I realized it was a bit useless since I already knew the outcomes of those games. But hey, it's a step in the right direction.
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