NHL Sells Naming Rights to 4 Divisions; Expected to Be 1-Year Campaign

The NHL is taking sports advertising to a new level for its upcoming season, as it has sold naming rights to its four divisions.

The league announced its sponsored divisions for the 2021 campaign Tuesday:

Per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, the league is viewing the division naming rights "as a one-year-only campaign."

The agreements allow the NHL to recoup some of the financial losses it has incurred from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Per Mike Ozanian and Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes, the league's 2019-20 revenue dropped 14 percent from the previous season to $4.4 billion and operating income plummeted 68 percent to $250 million.

As part of the agreement between the NHL and NHL Players' Association for a 56-game schedule this season, the league altered its traditional division structure from Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central and Pacific to a simpler North, Central, East and West.

Canadian clubs comprise the North Division. Teams will only play games within their divisions, with a 16-team playoff format scheduled to begin in May.