The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago today announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast. The alternate presentation will take place on Saturday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m. (CT), airing on NBC Sports Chicago Plus (NBCSCH+) as the Chicago Blackhawks face off against the Dallas Stars. Game day coverage on NBCSCH+ gets underway with a special edition of Blackhawks Pregame Live at 2:00 p.m.
Geared toward families, the presentation will feature real-time volumetric animation of the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars players and include a celebration of ‘Tommy Hawk’s Birthday Party’ with some surprise visits from Tommy's friends.
"Every day, we're challenging ourselves to bring hockey to fans in new ways, and we're incredibly excited to bring the first-ever local animated game to kids across Chicagoland and beyond in partnership with NBC Sports Chicago and the NHL," said Jaime Faulkner, President of Business Operations for the Chicago Blackhawks. “It’s our highest priority to introduce Blackhawks fandom to our youngest generation, and this passion project of ours is fueled by our ongoing efforts to share the game we love with families in ways that connect with their daily lives."
The animated presentation on NBCSCH+ will include notable broadcast talent including Chris Vosters as play-by-play announcer and in-game analysis provided by Dominic Moore with Adam Burish and Tony Granato providing studio coverage for all ages during intermissions.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to combine the talents at NBC Sports Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL to produce this first-ever, local, animated pro game telecast,” said John Schippman, VP of Sports Content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “We’re excited and proud to be delivering a new and fun way for families and younger fans to experience this wonderful sport like never before.”
Building upon the League’s recent national animated telecast successes, this first-of-its-kind local animated presentation will leverage NHL EDGE positional data (NHL Puck and Player tracking) and Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking to recreate the action on the ice as it is happening while also featuring Blackhawks mascot Tommy Hawk with some of his friends within a fun environment with the United Center as a backdrop. The real-time animated program will also be produced in association with NHL innovation partner Beyond Sports.
NBC Sports Chicago will carry the traditional game telecast featuring WGN Radio 720’s John Wiedeman handling play-by-play duties with NBC Sports Chicago’s Darren Pang providing expert game analysis.
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About NBC Sports Chicago
Part of NBCUniversal Local Chicago and the NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Chicago presents exclusive live-game coverage of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, NBA’s Chicago Bulls and MLB’s Chicago White Sox, along with extensive coverage of the NFL’s Chicago Bears and MLB’s Chicago Cubs. Serving Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, NBC Sports Chicago delivers hundreds of live events per year, along with news, analysis and commentary programming and original content. NBC Sports Chicago’s digital portfolio, led by NBCSportsChicago.com and the NBC Sports Chicago mobile app, is the top source for live and on-demand video, audio, written content and other features covering the region’s teams, athletes and sporting events.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers - league, team and player accounts combined - across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, TNT Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordics, Baltics, and Poland; YLE in Finland; Nova in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Sky Sports and ProSieben in Germany; MySports in Switzerland; and CCTV5+ in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Original Productions and NHL Studios produce compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.
The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone™ initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.
About the Chicago Blackhawks
Founded in 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks are one of the "Original Six" professional ice hockey teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six-time Stanley Cup Champions (1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, 2015). Members of the Central Division in the NHL's Western Conference, the team calls the United Center home and practices out of Fifth Third Arena, which also serves as a state-of-the-art community space and hub for youth hockey development. The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, the team’s official charitable arm, works to create a healthier, smarter, more secure world for children and families across Chicagoland by providing access to programming and resources that make a positive impact. For more information, visit Blackhawks.com or follow the team at @NHLBlackhawks on social media channels.
