LAS VEGAS – Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) and the National Hockey League (NHL) today revealed new details about the upcoming 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere, June 28-29, including that for the first time ever, key moments from the Draft will be broadcast live on the Exosphere – providing an extraordinary, real-time look at the action taking place inside the venue on the LED exterior. Separate from the original content the Company creates for The Sphere Experience, the NHL Draft marks the venue’s first live event in which Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio dedicated to creating multi-sensory live entertainment experiences exclusively for Sphere – led the design and creation of content for both the interior display plane and the Exosphere. (Photos are available here).
“Sphere is powered by cutting-edge technologies to create immersive experiences across a wide range of event categories,” said Jennifer Koester, President and Chief Operating Officer, Sphere. “The Sphere Studios team is focused on pushing the boundaries of technology and creativity to strategically enhance what we can offer to partners such as the NHL Draft in how they utilize Sphere’s interior and exterior – demonstrating the breadth of our capabilities as we continue to redefine the future of live entertainment.”
“Working with the NHL to host the venue’s first-ever live broadcast event for a major sports league is an important milestone in Sphere’s inaugural year,” said Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President, Marquee Events and Operations for MSG Entertainment, who oversees marquee events for Sphere. “We look forward to creating an unforgettable Draft experience with the NHL for everyone watching in Las Vegas and around the world via the incredible content that will be displayed both inside the venue and on the Exosphere.”
“We’ve set out to create the most amazing introduction to the NHL for these young players and their families in the most innovative venue in the world,” said Steve Mayer, NHL Chief Content Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. “This will be the first sporting event broadcast live from Sphere, and we are thrilled to be working with Sphere Studios and so many other innovative companies and talented individuals to make it a success."
The 2024 NHL Draft will mark several firsts for Sphere including:
- The first live televised event from inside Sphere, and the first time content on the interior display plane will be optimized both for the fans in the venue, and the viewing audience at home
- Separate from the original content the Company creates for The Sphere Experience, the NHL Draft marks the venue’s first live event in which Sphere Studios led the design and creation of content for both the interior display plane and the Exosphere
- The first time the events happening live inside the venue will be incorporated into real-time content to be displayed on the Exosphere
The team at Sphere Studios has been working closely with the NHL to create custom content for both Sphere’s fully immersive interior display plane – the world’s highest resolution LED screen – and the exterior of the venue – the world’s largest LED screen. As the first event televised live from Sphere, the Sphere Studios team has optimized the custom content displayed on the interior display plane for the television audience, as well as fans in the venue. This content includes custom graphics for all 32 NHL teams, key statistical highlights and notable former picks for each club, and an immersive Draft selection board while each team is on the clock.
In another groundbreaking first for Sphere, footage from the live television broadcast will be incorporated into custom graphics and displayed on the Exosphere throughout the event. These Exosphere moments, specific to Round 1 on Friday, June 28, will mark a new level of engagement for fans on the ground in Las Vegas and around the world via the live television broadcast.
The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place over two days: Friday, June 28 (Round 1, televised on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, starting at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET) and Saturday, June 29 (Rounds 2-7, televised on ESPN+, NHL Network, Sportsnet and SN1, starting at 8:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. ET). More information is available at https://www.nhl.com/events/draft-coverage-central.
Tickets for the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft are available at Ticketmaster.com. More information is available at https://www.thesphere.com/shows/2024-nhl-draft.
NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks and NHL Draft name and logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2024. All Rights Reserved.
About Sphere:
Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost artists, creators, and technologists create extraordinary experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue hosts original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies from the world's biggest artists; and premier marquee events. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023, and is a new Las Vegas landmark, powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale. More information is available at thesphere.com.
About Sphere Entertainment Co.
Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) is a premier live entertainment and media company. The Company includes Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium powered by cutting-edge technologies to redefine the future of entertainment. The first Sphere venue in Las Vegas opened in September 2023. In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming. More information is available at sphereentertainmentco.com.
