Imagine the thrill of the Stanley Cup Final, the roar of the crowd, and the excitement of every goal. For many Deaf and hard-of-hearing sports fans, this reality falls short. But this year, the NHL is bridging the accessibility gap in a historic first.
For the first time ever, the NHL and P-X-P are connecting sports fans with a game changing ASL broadcast—transforming how fans connect with hockey by creating an immersive and inclusive environment for the Deaf community.
Transforming the viewing experience
This innovative broadcast aired on ESPN+ and Canada’s Sportsnet+, featuring broadcasters who provided real-time play-by-play coverage and color commentary in American Sign Language.
The broadcast was designed to amplify the experience for Deaf viewers through a variety of innovative visual aids. These include a large, metered, real-time bar to demonstrate crowd noise levels, particularly during significant events like goals and penalties. This feature allows Deaf viewers to feel the energy and excitement of the crowd, adding an immersive layer to the viewing experience. Additionally, custom visual emotes depicted goals, penalties, the intensity of hits, and whether the puck hits the post or crossbar, providing clear and immediate visual cues.
This initiative is part of the NHL’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that fans of all abilities can enjoy the excitement of the game.
“Our continued partnership with P-X-P allows the NHL to do something no other professional sports league has done before: provide a fully immersive, unique, and accessible viewing experience that specifically meets the needs of the Deaf community.”
~ Kim Davis, NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Growth Initiatives, and Legislative Affairs
Technology Is Leveling the Playing Field for Accessibility
While the NHL’s ASL broadcast is an incredible step in the right direction, there are even more innovative efforts underway making TV more accessible for the Deaf community. In a previous AT&T Accessibility article, we wrote about “How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Helps Improve Accessibility”. We covered how Netflix leveraged AI to create custom captions that enhance the visual and audio experience—delivering more accurate captions and translations, significantly improving accessibility for those with visual or hearing impairments. Netflix also launched custom captions with contrasting backgrounds, making text clearer and more readable for viewers with poor vision.
AT&T Proves That Connectivity Can Change the Game
Technology is helping to fuel incredible breakthroughs both on and off the field. In late 2023, AT&T partnered with Gallaudet University to launch the AT&T 5G helmet. By using the 5G network and augmented reality, the AT&T 5G Helmet provided real-time communication between coaches and Deaf football players by projecting real-time calls, plays and information onto the player’s view via a built-in visor.
Read the full “AT&T 5G Helmet Empowers Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Athletes” article
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