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Something worthy for front page of Sankaku.
NEW YORK - National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Wednesday rumors that the League Office is considering a partnership with several Japanese Animation studios which could be in place effect as soon as next season.In a short written statement released to the press, Bettman reaffirmed his commitment to raise sagging revenues and reinvigorate fanbases in the NHL, which has struggled to compete with other professional leagues in recent years.
"Everything we do is with one goal in mind - preserving and propagating the great sport of hockey, seeing that the best players in the world get the recognition they deserve, and thrilling the fans," said Bettman.
The statement comes on the heels of the leaking of documents, including drafts of preliminary contracts, regarding negotiations between the animation studios and the NHL, to the Bleacher Report. Bettman tried to alleviate speculation that a deal was close, saying, "[t]he reported negotiations are part of what is only one of a plethora of options on the table. Nothing is set in stone."
But some were neither as restrained nor as upbeat as the Commissioner. Edmonton Oilers President Kevin Lowe objected to the secrecy of the negotiations, and in particular a clause which enumerated incentives for studios to purchase franchises. Said Lowe in a press release, "[w]hen the owners are the last to hear about the potential sale of their team, there's a problem. When fans are the last to hear about the possibility of their mascot being turned into a pink-haired girl, there's a problem."
Although no studios were explicitly named in the leaked documents, the names listed in minutes of the proceedings led experts to believe that Kyoto Animation, Madhouse, and J.C. Staff are all involved in the negotiations. The terms of the deal included agreements to debut new episodes of anime during the breaks between periods of hockey games on television and on video scoreboards inside arenas, as well as anime appreciation nights in which fans would receive paraphernalia for attending. The studios would each be required to purchase a 10% stake in the League, as well as have the option to form a board which would have the final say in which music could be played during games in the arenas. The studios could also rename and redesign the presentation of individual player awards annually furnished by the League.
The NHL test marketed a similar program for Japanese airings of hockey games during the 2006 season with mixed results.
Scott Galloway, a professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University who specializes in sports marketing, says the NHL has much to gain from such a partnership because of the untapped pool of anime fans, also known as Otaku.
"Otaku a very dedicated bunch, and, more importantly, are a large demographic that intersects with current NHL viewers very little. If the NHL can turn the Otaku crowd into regular viewers, advertising for their games suddenly becomes much more lucrative."
"That's to say nothing for increased ticket sales. The League ownership would like nothing more right now than for gametime crowds to start looking like an anime convention."
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/378675-nhl-mulling-anime-partnership-nothing-set-in-stone
