Sports industry partnerships with cruise lines have gained steam in recent years, as prominent cruise brands look to broaden their exposure to prospective guests. In the latest alliance, Norwegian Cruise Line revealed it has been tapped as the Official Cruise Line of the National Hockey League.
In an announcement by the cruise line on October 8, 2024 โ which is the opening day of the National Hockey League (NHL) season โ Norwegian confirmed the pact is its first partnership with a professional sports league, and it is the first time that the league has teamed up with a cruise brand.
The multi-year agreement is seen as an advertising and marketing boon for Norwegian Cruise Lineโs 19-ship fleet, since it enables the cruise brand to become part of the NHLโs digital and social media presence, and its marketing strategy.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the NHL. The passion and excitement we see from their fans is truly contagious, and we share that same electrifying passion for traveling the globe and delivering more to see, more to do and more to enjoy for our guests,” said Adam Malone, chief marketing officer for Norwegian Cruise Line.
Under the pact, Norwegian becomes the presenting sponsor of the leagueโs top goals, which are determined each week during the season. Hockey fans who vote on the goal content on various NHL platforms become eligible to win prizes, with the grand prize being a free cruise on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship.
Other special marketing events that will feature fan interactions with the cruise brand will include NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Stadium Series, and NHL Winter Classic.
Norwegians can also expect national television audiences of NHL games to see its brand advertised on the leagueโs Digitally Enhanced Dashboards (DED), a virtual advertising product.
DEDs replace local ads on the dasher boards, also called duckboards โ the barriers that separate the ice rink from the spectators, with digital ads. The so-called โdynamic dashboard advertisingโ is used throughout the NHLโs regular season and during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Norwegian will get plenty of DED exposure on the ESPN and TNT broadcast channels as the presenting sponsor of the first goal of the game, as well as during other advertising opportunities.
โLeveraging our award-winning DED signage and connecting the NCL brand to some of our most celebrated in-game moments helps build more excitement for our partnership in a way that is authentic to our fans,” saidย Jason Jazayeri, vice president of business development for the NHL.
Norwegian Cruise Line currently operates 19 ships. The new-build Norwegian Aqua is under construction and due to launch in 2025.
Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Line Haven: What You Need to Know
Parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced in April 2024 that it has ordered four additional ships for the brand, each able to accommodate nearly 5,000 guests. Delivery of the new vessels is staggered, with debuts planned for 2030, 2032, 2034, and 2036.
Cruise Brand Already Partners With Baseball Team
The NHL is not the first sports-related association for Norwegian Cruise Line. In 2023 the brand announced an exclusive partnership with the Miami Marlins major league baseball team. Under the alliance, baseball fans have opportunities to win onboard credits for future cruises, among other potential benefits.
Other cruise lines have climbed aboard the sports-partnership bandwagon. MSC Cruises in 2023 entered into a partnership with Formula 1 to offer a Grand Prix hospitality experience aboard MSC Virtuosa during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November 2023.
Under the pact, the MSC Virtuosa, with a capacity for 6,000 guests, served as a hotel for race fans throughout the Formula 1 weekend while she was docked at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal near the Formula 1 circuit.
Also in 2023, Carnival Cruise Line partnered with the New York Jets football team in an agreement that includes mutual brand promotions.