have our game presentation as if fans were there and we’re still trying to get the traditions out.” Thankfully for Caps fans – and NHL fans all over – games played behind closed doors still make for an excellent broadcasting opportunity. “The Virtual Gameday platform is purely a companion product for the live broadcast,” he explains. “It’s there to be enjoyed on mobile and desktop. Our goal is to help our passionate fans feel as if they’re at a home game, and replicate that the best we can. They hear the PA announcer, get the national anthem and see the warm-ups they love. There are also traditions during pivotal moments of the game like videos and songs playing – they get all of that just like a live, in-person game.“ During a broadcast, as soon as there’s a time-out, or a commercial, or a break in the action, fans can go back to their phone or desktop. They chat with fellow fans, take part in contests, enjoy the fun back and forth of the hosts and more. “Nothing is ever going to replicate that arena experience with 19,000 fans packed in together, but the platform really does help the broadcast come to life,” Lochmann concludes.
the Capitals. ”We faced delays, then, following the restart, the team was in Toronto. There was only so much we could do from Washington DC other than bring the games to life on social and digital platforms – so that’s what we did.” In August 2020, the NHL reached the final phase of its
return to the ice following a four- month hiatus. To minimise risk, teams formed an isolation bubble in two Canadian ‘hub cities’, Toronto and Edmonton. “This year, we’re back playing at the Capital One Arena, only it doesn’t have anyone in it except the players and a limited number of staff,” says Lochmann. “We still
WE STILL HAVE OUR GAME PRESENTATION AS IF FANS WERE THERE
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