Securing NHL Media Coverage in Czech media

Ice hockey in the Czech Republic is not just a sport, but part of the cultural heritage that shapes national identity. It connects fans across generations and regions. The NHL, the world’s most prestigious hockey league, holds a unique position in the Czech environment. Thanks to the long-term presence of Czech players and a strong fan base, it enjoys exceptional attention and represents a symbol of hockey excellence.

In a market where NHL games take place almost nightly during the season, the league wanted the to secure high-quality, measurable NHL media coverage in Czech media. It also wanted to build awareness of the league and its players while strengthen relationships with key journalists and outlets.

Speed was the central challenge: real-time score and result coverage belongs to the Czech News Agency (ČTK), so competing on breaking news wasn’t realistic. Instead, added value came from original insights and materials on NHL clubs and players using strategic media communication to systematically strengthen the NHL’s position in the Czech market.

Given the characteristics of the sports media landscape and the specific expectations of Czech fans, PRAM created a systematic an approach for NHL. The strategy was built on several key pillars:

• Daily Media Service: Ensuring daily communication between the NHL and Czech media, including the distribution of exclusive content  and prompt reactions to current events in the league.
• Direct Interaction: Organizing regular media meetups to strengthen trust and relationships among journalists, players, and NHL representatives.
• Focus on Czech Players: With the strong domestic media interest in Czech players, they were the focus of targeted promotion.
• Collaboration with Key Partners: Establishing successful cooperation with both public service broadcasters (particularly Czech Television) and commercial media.
• On-site Support: During the NHL Global Series in Prague in October 2024, we provided full on-site support including coordinating press conferences, managing post-game interviews, and facilitating individual player interviews.

PRAM was actively involved during NHL Global Series in Prague, and created the majority of outputs (320 out of a total of 628) related to this event, representing a significant share of overall media coverage. The event generated over 51 million media impressions, demonstrating strong public and media interest.  PRAM coverage results included:

• Primetime Broadcast: Daily highlight segments in Branky, body, vteřiny
• Total media outputs: 3,017 (a 27% increase compared to the previous season)
• Gold-tier media outputs: 2,072 (68.68% of total coverage) – KPIs exceeded by 130% (average 230 out of expected 100)
• Total reach of media outputs: 447 million