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Toronto Maple Leafs and NHL Should Stop Using Digital Ads

By Jeremy Ridgewell

OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 27: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks at a press conference prior to a game between the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on March 27, 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 27: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks at a press conference prior to a game between the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on March 27, 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs, along with the rest of the NHL, witnessed the use of digital ads last season. Although they might generate a good deal of revenue for the NHL, the ads weren’t without their problems.

From my own experience, while watching Toronto Maple Leafs games last season, the ads were a nuisance. Sometimes the ads were jumbled, with one ad overlapping the other.

Other times, you would see a player’s head or other parts of their body disappear.

Besides those minor inconveniences, digital ads are causing some to experience serious side effects. Anyone with epilepsy will find it extremely hard to watch NHL games with digital ads. One glitch in the digital ads could send them into a seizure.

NHL Needs to Stop Using Digital Ads

This brings me to the case of Sebastian Jackson and his daughter Sophia. Sebastian loves watching the Toronto Maple Leafs and sharing his love for hockey with his two children, daughter Sophia and son Hendrix.

One night in October, while watching an NHL game, Sophia suffered a bad headache and fever. Then it happened again and again, with Sophia experiencing at least three seizures while watching NHL games.

Sebastian and his wife decided to stop letting Sophia watch hockey with her daddy. That special moment they both loved is now not an option due to the NHL’s use of digital ads on their boards. Sebastian has been pleading with the NHL, Sportsnet, and anyone who will listen to put a stop to these digital ads, but his pleas keep falling on deaf ears.

On July 18th, the NHL announced a partnership with MVP Index. They are a leading sponsorship measurement and valuation platform and will become the NHL’s strategic partner for valuation and asset measurement for the League’s Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DED) program.

This is proof that only one thing matters to the NHL, and that’s money. Ignoring complaints like the ones from Sebastian, is proof that the NHL is not for everyone.

Next. Guy Boucher a Great Back-Up Plan. dark

I hope Sebastian’s petition reaches enough people to one day put an end to the NHL’s digital ads and allow him to watch Mitch Marner the Toronto Maple Leafs with his daughter again. I encourage anyone with epilepsy or anyone who knows someone with epilepsy to please sign the petition. Everyone should be able to watch the NHL, and that includes those with epilepsy.

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