NHL looks to TikTok to capitalize on Heated Rivalry and Olympics as it grows beyond U.S. and Canada

According to marketing research firm EDO, brands running ads against hockey coverage in the U.S. saw campaign effectiveness (in this case, consumer searches immediately after an ad has aired) improve by 7% on average after Netflix hit Heated Rivalry’s breakthrough moment last November.

In short, the combination of a hit streaming show and a recent Winter Olympics has brought a larger and more engaged fanbase — quite the hockey assist. That’ll strengthen the league’s hand going into rights negotiations across the world, but might also prove a temporary effect.

To ensure the aura lasts a little longer, the NHL’s marketing team is working to convert those casual viewers into lifelong fans of the sport — and reinforce the value of its TV coverage rights for media partners across the European markets the league is targeting for expansion.

The NHL opened an office in Zurich, Switzerland, last year, and is focused on growing its presence on the continent beyond its traditional Nordic foothold. Germany is of particular interest, said Jaka Lednik, svp of international strategy at the NHL, who added that ice hockey stands a chance of competing on the “second level” of sports fandom, after soccer.

“We think there’s an opportunity to grow the sport for everyone,” he said.

In practical terms, that means putting skates on the ground. The NHL is bringing more regular season matches across the pond, including a pair of games between the Ottawa Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks in Düsseldorf in December.

It also means building up a social media content operation that can turn passing online fandom into ticket sales or sustained TV viewership.

Across eight languages and a clutch of platforms, the league has had its best success with TikTok, where the NHL’s European account — active since 2022 — recently broke past the 1 billion view barrier. Through the most recent season, the team hit an average of 1.16 million views per post and boasts more followers (2 million) than the NFL or NBA’s equivalent accounts; it’s the third-most followed TikTok sports league anywhere.

“Where it’s [TikTok] been really beneficial is in supporting our broadcasters in each of the markets,” said Lednik. “We’re able to drive tune-in, you know, make sure that people are aware of what’s happening when on our partners channels.”

Although the value of sports rights has increased in recent years — the NBA’s 2024 deal was worth a total of $75 billion — it’s not guaranteed to rise. Last year, for example, French soccer’s Ligue 1 failed to find a TV buyer, eventually resorting to streaming its matches internationally via its own service, Ligue1+.

“Social media has exceeded word of mouth in effectiveness [for] driving to actual viewing,” Sam Nursall, research manager at research firm Ampere Analysis, told Digiday. Increasing the league’s reach this way, he said, would indirectly boost the NHL’s value to media partners. “It’s kind of a multi-step thing … a TikTok presence could certainly translate into a growing audience, which they can then translate into media rights.”

Gartner analyst Nicole Greene referred to the NHL’s social strategy as “the new playbook” for leagues hoping to recruit fans outside their traditional stomping grounds. “Leagues are targeting international expansion and younger audiences through digital content and strategic partnerships,” she said in an email. 

“The NFL is expanding the number of games in international markets and broadcast rights. They’re also working to scale regional content to support the game experience across social channels. F1 has a movie, is partnering with racing stars and brands, and pushing content on social to help grow the sport,” added Greene.

The NHL’s content itself, managed in partnership with agency IMG, is a mix of match highlights, player spotlights on and off the rink, and user-generated content. 

“If the NHL can use TikTok for what it’s best at — as a short-form, discovery-first channel within a multichannel strategy, prioritizing paid distribution, platform-native short videos, creator partnerships, shoppable media and measurement that ties social activity to on-site conversion — [all] that can help build its brand strength,” said Greene.

Much of the NHL’s efforts focus on the game’s star players. It’s a bet that local audiences across Europe will be drawn to local heroes like Leon Draisaitl of Germany or Sweden’s William Nylander. 

“We’re drawing on those personal connections and passion people have… that is a larger strategy across the organization, which is to peel off the visors and the helmets of the players, show their faces, show their personalities,” said Heidi Browning, the NHL’s CMO.

It’s also a concession to the fact that fans are hungry for star face time more generally — and that ice hockey’s principal actors are often hidden behind their helmets, a handicap most leagues (besides the NFL) don’t face.

“People tend to follow individual athletes over teams,” noted Nursall.

However, if the NHL can continue to unmask its leading personalities and tap into the rivalries, comebacks and breakthroughs behind each season’s narratives, it’ll further feed the sport’s presence on social — and its leverage in media rights discussions. All while staying out of the ratings penalty box.