NHL Expands Distribution Channels for Road to the NHL Winter Classic Docuseries

The NHL will deliver the critically acclaimed Road to the NHL Winter Classic to more distribution platforms worldwide than ever before. The behind-the-scenes docuseries will take viewers inside the dressing rooms and homes of the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers as they prepare to meet outdoors in the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1 at Citi Field in New York. This docuseries premiered on NBCSN at 11:30 p.m. ET immediately following the Boston Bruins-Detroit Red Wings game on Wednesday Night Rivalry, and was available to viewers in more than a dozen countries and territories. 

For the first time in the Road to the NHL Winter Classic’s six-year history, the NHL will distribute the weekly series on social platforms. Full episodes will be available on YouTube  and short-form versions of the 30-minute, four-week series will run on Facebook Watch via the NHL’s Show Page. Episode 1 will be available on both platforms on Thursday, Dec. 14; episode 2 on Thursday, Dec. 21; episode 3 on Thursday, Dec. 28; and episode 4 on Monday, Jan. 8.

Road to the NHL Winter Classic presented by Honda series is produced by 53-time Emmy award winner Ross Greenburg in partnership with NHL Original Productions, under the direction of Mayer. Emmy and Tony-nominated actor Bill Camp will narrate.

“Leveraging the series’ popularity and compelling content, our primary mission in making this available on Facebook and YouTube is to reach a bigger and younger viewing audience,” says Heidi Browning, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, NHL. “With support from Facebook, YouTube, Honda and our broadcast partners, the series will be available to more people than ever before.”

“Like the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, the Road to the NHL Winter Classic has become appointment viewing for hockey fans,” says NHL Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President Steve Mayer, who also serves as an Executive Producer for the series. “With New York as the backdrop this year and the 10th anniversary of the NHL Winter Classic, there was no better time than now to make Road to the NHL Winter Classic presented by Honda available in more homes and on more devices and platforms.”

The Road to the NHL Winter Classic will air weekly on NBCSN and NHL Network in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada, starting Dec. 13. Full episodes will stream worldwide.

NHL international television partners CCTV (China), Viasat & Viaplay (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland), Nova Sport (Czech Republic, Slovakia), ASN (Hong Kong, Macau SAR, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan), Fox Australia (Australia), Sky New Zealand (New Zealand), Canal+ (France), Premier (UK, Ireland) and Fox Sports (Italy, Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Vatican City, San Marino, Malta, Israel) will broadcast the series to fans around the world.  The NHL has more than 151 million followers – league, team and player accounts combined – across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

The 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will be broadcast live on NBC, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports at 1 p.m. ET, continuing the tradition the League established in 2008 of hosting a regular-season outdoor game at the onset of the New Year, with this year’s edition marking the 10-year anniversary of the first NHL Winter Classic in Buffalo.