SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews announced today that the league has entered into a new long-term partnership with NeuLion Inc., a leading provider of live and on-demand international and sports programming over the Internet, to bring a one-of-a-kind online experience to fans worldwide using NeuLion technology beginning with the 2008-09 season.
AHL Live is now available via theahl.com, showcasing high-quality live AHL games not available anywhere else on the Internet. AHL Live offers hockey fans an opportunity to tune into their favorite team with a simple Internet connection. This subscription-based service gives fans an all-access pass to watch live games for the entire season or on a pay-per-view basis, as well as access to live game audio and archived games.
AHL Live will capture each of the league’s 29 clubs and stream 1,160 games throughout the AHL season, which began on Oct. 8. This exclusive service is the only way fans can watch live games online, where the viewing experience expands the reach of the AHL to a global audience.
“We are very excited about the start of our partnership with NeuLion,” said Andrews. “They have shown themselves to be a dynamic company that will allow us to bring the excitement and quality of AHL hockey to fans around the world. Our Internet properties are critical to our connection with millions of AHL fans and the opportunities presented by NeuLion will allow us to deliver AHL games and content in new and exciting ways.”
“NeuLion’s service provides an AHL destination site that creates a complete fan experience. Stemming from the success of the NHL Network Online, the new AHL service delivers an online experience that is truly unique. We are pleased to join forces with the AHL because we know hockey fans throughout the world will benefit from this service,” said Nancy Li, chief executive officer of NeuLion Inc.
Individual games are available for $6 each, and a team season pass is just $140 for 80 regular-season broadcasts (all prices US). Calder Cup Playoff games and the annual AHL All-Star Classic will also be available. NeuLion and the AHL plan to offer additional service features such as game highlights, player interviews and features, video on demand and other behind-the-scenes video in the near future.
About the AHL
In operation since 1936, the American Hockey League continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 84 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the seventh year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2007-08. The AHL’s 73rd regular season is now underway with 29 teams competing for the prestigious Calder Cup.
About NeuLion
NeuLion works with content partners to develop end-to-end solutions for multimedia IPTV services. NeuLion content partners are interested in reaching the global audience with a broadcast television and video streaming service. The NeuLion iPTV Platform encodes, delivers, stores and manages an unlimited range of multimedia content, and the Operational Support System (OSS) maintains all billing and customer support services. NeuLion offers a service that delivers content directly to the TV, PC or a variety of other consumer devices. Programming carried by NeuLion includes sports, religious networks, broadcast television from international providers and others. The technology used by NeuLion allows streaming video to be delivered at a lower bandwidth, higher quality and user experience. To learn more visit www.neulion.com. On June 27, 2008 NeuLion signed a definitive agreement to merge with publicly traded JumpTV (TSX/AIM:JTV), a leading provider of live and on-demand sports and international programming over the Internet. Visit www.jumptv.com.
