NHL Broadcasts Are Becoming More Inclusive As Gary Bettman Makes A Huge Announcement
Gary Bettman and the NHL are getting ready to make broadcasts of games a lot more inclusive to fans of the game, in what is going to be a huge change for the league.
The league today announced that select NHL games, beginning with the Dec. 31 Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will be offered in American Sign Language.
This new, different telecast will be called 'The NHL in ASL', featuring game play-by-play done by Deaf commentators in ASL, and will be available to US viewers on Max, while Sportsnet+ in Canada also carries the feed.
«Building off the tremendous success of our groundbreaking NHL in ASL broadcast for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, we are proud to continue to demonstrate the League's commitment to providing a fully immersive and accessible viewing experience that specifically meets the needs of the Deaf community for our Legacy events as well, starting for the first time with this year's NHL Winter Classic,» said Steve Mayer, President, NHL Content and Events. «This is an NHL-led production for the Deaf by the Deaf, and we encourage all fans watching at home to tune-in to experience this special telecast.»
Earlier this year, CBC made history when it aired the Stanley Cup Final on 'Hockey Night in Canada' with ASL coverage.
"For us to be able to have this real-time coverage of play by play and colour commentary in American Sign Language being called directly as opposed to a re-interpretation is really what the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community want," said Kim Davis, the NHL's senior executive VP of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. It's what they deserve. That makes the game truly meaningful for them. It is not like you're re-interpreting for them basically from another language. They are hearing the game live in their own language and the way in which they understand it best."
This is a great move, one that will be reaching out and appealing to the under-served fans of the sport, which is a big positive.
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