The NHL debuted digital ads on boards league-wide this season. The activation allowed individual sports networks to digitally impose their own ads on dasherboards over the physical ones seen at the arena, generating a new revenue stream.

The idea sounds fine in theory but there have been obvious problems with the execution during broadcasts.

Capitals fan Dan Bagley, in a viral Twitter thread, documented those and walked through how disruptive at times the digital ads have been to his own viewing.

The problems include losing the puck and players’ bodies in the digital boards.

The @NHL digital board ads have made hockey *physically* more difficult to watch on TV this season. Putting aside any philosophical concerns about commercialization, there are a number of *technical* reasons why it hurts your eyes to watch this. A THREAD … (1/n) pic.twitter.com/eaZZ0Mf1Th

— Dan Bagley (@mrdanbagley) December 6, 2022

The ads are so bold that they will sometimes overpower the visual of players.

#3 – Color Matching & Shadows – Like the motion blur, the ads are rendered with a single tone of white which does not necessarily match the tone of the boards being replaced. Again, this was more noticeable earlier in the season when they were brighter … (9/n) pic.twitter.com/fW42fZnqZR

— Dan Bagley (@mrdanbagley) December 6, 2022

Some ads are animated which can cause confusion/competition with gameplay.

#4 – Animation – The decision to allow animation in the digital boards while the puck in play is one of the most questionable ones in this entire project. Tons of examples, but when it goes wrong, it goes WRONG … (12/n) pic.twitter.com/CHHOkxWtjQ

— Dan Bagley (@mrdanbagley) December 6, 2022

Bagley elaborated on his points on Uniwatch.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about the backlash digital ads were receiving at the NHL’s Board of Governors meeting in Florida.

“The polling we do with our fans gives us the feedback that it’s a non-issue,” Bettman said per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “Many think it looks better than having the numerous logos on the dasher boards. It’s working extraordinarily well.

“If what you’re doing is just watching the dashboards – which I guess if you’re reporting on it, you might do – then it may be a distraction. If you’re watching the game, it’s not a distraction.”

Or as Wysh so aptly summarized:

Bettman says that digital dasherboard ad backlash is a “non-issue” because their polling indicates fans find games more watchable with those digital ads replacing physical ones.

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) December 13, 2022

My view is that when the league comes up with creative advertisement ideas to generate more revenue for itself and its partners, that’s fine. I want the league to make money and continue to grow. It’s when the ads become so pervasive that they don’t fall in the background and degrade the gameplay that it’s crossing a line. With some refinements to the technology and minimizing how aggressive animated ads are, the league will likely find a happy medium. The digital ads just need to be more subtle.

But that’s my opinion. Do you think Gary and his internal polling are right? Have the digital ads not been a distraction for you while watching Caps games?

Photo: @mrdanbagley/Twitter