Nov 14, 2024

National Hockey League Partners with VAST Data to Accelerate and Streamline Media Production Operations

Deployment of the VAST Data Platform across all 32 NHL arenas will simplify management of over 20 petabytes of League data

Remote-First-Company | NEW YORK CITY – November 14, 2024 – VAST Data, the AI data platform company, and the National Hockey League (NHL®) today announced a multiyear North American partnership to help transform the way the NHL manages, stores, and distributes its media content. As part of this partnership, the NHL is using the VAST Data Platform to enhance its archival data processes, improve real-time game footage operations across NHL arenas, and be ready for future advancements in AI-driven content discovery.

Over the last five years, VAST and the NHL have built a foundation of co-engineering to serve the rapidly growing data management needs of the League. In this time, VAST has allowed the NHL to move from 15 different workflows, each with a separate storage system – to being able to access its data archive from a single data platform, eliminating the need for additional asset management systems. The NHL can now run AI-powered discovery tools on all of its data assets, creating new opportunities to derive value from data and broadcasts spanning the League’s history.

Our partnership with VAST will help the NHL streamline workflows across our live production and archival footage - providing fast, secure access to these data assets anywhere while simultaneously modernizing and future-proofing our data infrastructure for AI,” said Grant Nodine, NHL Senior Vice President, Technology. “By consolidating our data infrastructure into one scalable, unified data platform, VAST is enabling us to efficiently push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI.

The NHL is enhancing and simplifying operations with the full spectrum of VAST Data Platform capabilities, including:

Using the VAST DataStore to efficiently and securely manage, edit and distribute the League’s entire archive of game footage, live recording, production, distribution, captioning, and back office data.
Leveraging the VAST DataSpace to access data and footage across all 32 NHL arenas with real-time replication to significantly accelerate post-production, highlight development and distribution to NHL teams and media partners.
With the VAST DataBase, the NHL will be able to continuously collect metadata for all media assets in near real-time as game footage is captured, giving the League the ability to quickly find, filter, and efficiently report on assets using analytical tools and applications, including recognizing key moments in games, identifying players, and detecting logos or specific events.
The VAST DataEngine will enrich and enable data-driven AI pipelines, empowering the League to automate highlight generation using real-time NHL EDGE data (NHL Puck and Player Tracking) straight from each arena, and to leverage AI to restore historic footage.

If data is the fuel of AI, the sports media industry holds the keys to one of the world's greatest reserves, with the potential to unlock opportunities to analyze and enhance player performance, create new content that elevates the fan experience, and streamline the business of sports broadcasting,” said Jeff Denworth, Co-Founder at VAST Data. “We're excited to partner with the NHL and help to fundamentally redefine professional sports with AI by laying a foundation for real-time production, in-depth player analytics, personalized content and more immersive, interactive experiences. The NHL is home to some of the most historic moments in sports, and the VAST Data Platform is now the trusted system to protect these assets and bring generations of on-ice action to life at rapid speed.

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VAST Data

NHL Communications

VAST Data is the data platform company built for the AI era. As the new standard for enterprise AI infrastructure, organizations trust the VAST Data Platform to serve their most data-intensive computing needs. VAST Data empowers enterprises to unlock the full potential of all of their data by providing AI infrastructure that is simple, scalable, and architected from the ground up to power deep learning and GPU-accelerated data centers and clouds. Launched in 2019, VAST Data is the fastest growing data infrastructure company in history. For more information, please visit and follow VAST Data on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

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, X, 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.