NHL Announces Multiyear Agreement with Rival to Host League’s Esports Initiatives

The NHL announces a multiyear partnership with leading fan engagement company Rival to serve as the Official Tournament Platform and League Operator for all competitions within the NHL’s esports umbrella, including the EA SPORTS NHL World Championship.

Now in its seventh season, the NHL’s annual tournament, which encompasses a European and North American draw that culminates at the World Championship, showcases the best EA SPORTS NHL players in the world and incorporates 32 Club qualifier tournaments, satellite qualifiers that are held during NHL Signature events, as well as an Open Play period.

Under the agreement, Rival will host all initiatives associated with the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship as well as extend its broad services to NHL Clubs, who will have the opportunity to launch team-branded gaming communities on the Rival platform. As experts in the esports space, Rival will help to strengthen tournament administrative functions, offer unique user experiences and maximize engagement with fans.

While Rival has partnered with other NHL Clubs, the New Jersey Devils, who recently launched “Devils Mafia Gaming” will be one of the first teams under this agreement with the League and Rival.

“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”, says Chris Golier, NHL Group Vice President, Business Development and Innovation. “We look forward to expanding our esport presence and delivering another year of record engagement across League platforms.”

“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,” says Rival CEO Matt Virtue. “What’s unique about this partnership is that we’ve expanded the core services to include both the NHL and its 32 Clubs. This will better inform all areas of data capture, marketing and operations, in addition to executing a bespoke gaming experience that brings the fans closer to the League and the teams they follow.”

Rival powers the gaming communities of more than 45 partners worldwide, across sports properties, media, tech, and brands, including organizations across NHL, NFL, NBA, MLS, USL, Serie A and the English Premier League. This partnership with the NHL marks Rival’s second with a professional sports league.