NHL Announces Multiyear Agreement to Host League’s Esports Initiatives

The National Hockey League announced today that Rival, an online fan engagement company, is the new Official Tournament Platform and League Operator for all eSport initiatives under the NHL, including the EA SPORTS NHL World Championship.

The EA SPORTS NHL World Championship is entering its 7th season. This year, the tournament will again incorporate 32 Club qualifier tournaments and will also include qualifiers held during NHL premiere events and an Open Play period.

The EA SPORTS NHL World Championship will be open to all players in Europe and North America. The tournament will progress and culminate toward crowning a World Champion.

Under the new agreement, Rival will also extend its services to other NHL clubs in addition to hosting the EA SPORTS NHL World Championship.

"We’re excited to leverage Rival’s knowledge, insight, and integration for our League eSports initiatives as well as for our Clubs, who continue to build opportunities to engage their own gaming communities," said Chris Golier, the NHL Group vice president, business development and innovation, in a statement. "We look forward to expanding our eSports presence and delivering another year of record engagement across League platforms."

Rival CEO Matt Virtue also shared, “The NHL has cultivated a hugely passionate gaming audience, and Rival is thrilled to build on its efforts to deepen fan engagement with gamers worldwide.”

The New Jersey Devils are the first NHL club to utilize their partnership with Rival to launch their eSports program called the "Devils Gaming Group." The program activates the NHL gaming community through various community-based initiatives.

Rival is heavily involved in various gaming communities, including those pertaining to the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Serie A, and the English Premier League. Their partnership with the NHL is Rival’s second with a professional sports league.

To join the NHL gaming community, visit http://www.nhl.com/NHL24.

Stay tuned for deep dives, impressions, and more on The Hockey News Gaming Site.