New York Islanders Augment HomeIce Digital Experience With Virtual Watch Parties Powered by BlueJeans by Verizon, the platform is connecting fans around the globe By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The New York Islanders have a deep connection with fans that extends throughout Metro New York. If you include the team's new venue, there's a lot of buzz surrounding the NHL franchise, and that's why the club is pushing a new capability for its HomeIce digital platform: virtual watch parties via BlueJeans by Verizon that feature domestic and international Isles fans.
It's all about keeping our community engaged, says Ryan Halkett, SVP, event presentation and production experiences, New York Islanders. Wherever they are in the world, our fans have the opportunity to celebrate with each other and feel like they're a part of game day with us.
Born Out of the Pandemic: A New Form of Entertainment Needing a way to entertain fans after the National Hockey League returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, clubs resorted to virtual applications developed to keep friends and families in touch while in isolation. HomeTurf, a second-screen platform that replicates the in-venue show and is deployed by many professional teams, was rebranded as HomeIce by the Islanders. Introduced during the 2020-21 NHL regular season within the New York Islanders app, the digital environment features such elements as videoboard prompts, fan trivia, poll questions, chances to win prizes, hype videos, and other forms of content, live statistics, and analytics.
One of the functions that made this activation a success with fans is the ability to chat with other fans. During a period when going to bars and large-scale gatherings wasn't possible, participating in a live chat satisfied the need for community in the best possible way. Although it was a viable solution from the start, Halkett and his production team wanted to push the platform even further by leveraging the relationship of a trusted partner.
The New York Islanders' HomeIce platform debuted during the 2020 COVID-impacted regular season.
We asked ourselves how to extend our reach further and bring our fanbase closer, he says. That's when Verizon came on with us to talk about this technology.
In the effort to improve the platform, real-time video was added along with a live chat. Launched on April 28 vs. the Washington Capitals and used for the season finale on April 29 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, the feature enables fans to create their own watch-party rooms and share the experience with friends.
Even though it debuted at the end of the season, the timing of the integration was deliberate. It was important for us and Verizon to get it launched this year, Halkett explains. We wanted to get the awareness of fans now, so we can really lean into it as we head into next year.
Game-Day Workflows: Crew Handles Two Productions at Once One challenge for the team is carrying out two simultaneous operations: the game-day atmosphere is produced both at UBS Arena and for the virtual HomeIce show. So as not to compromise either effort, the crew pre-packages the second-screen experience.
HomeIce allows fans to chat together in real time during any home game.
From a production perspective, the hardest challenge was the timing associated with HomeIce. Says Halkett, We needed to figure out when to start the application: whether to start it 30 minutes before or right at game time.
In juggling both responsibilities, the in-house production team sets a predestined run of show for HomeIce and handles the impromptu changes of the in-person event.
Since our lead producers run the show, says Fritz Stillings, game presentation coordinator, New York Islanders, I'll touch base with them on what we want to run and compile these new elements. I'll also send them what we're doing in the arena, so they can line [their show] up at the exact same time.
Full Slate of Programming: Inside the Improved HomeIce Platform Two seasons ago, HomeIce was operational for both home and away games, which required the production team to be available for all 82 games on the schedule. Last year, though, the app was used for the 41 home games. A smaller number of shows means that each virtual show can be filled with a higher quality of material. Now with the inclusion of video, alumni and franchise legends like four-time Stanley Cup champion Butch Goring are able to join in on the fun. Working closely with the team's community-relations staff, the game-presentation department is able to align these icons with specific games on the schedule.
Leading up to this game, says Stillings, we would tease and promote it by creating content like trivia questions around that specific alumnus. The fans absolutely loved it, and they thought it was really cool to be able to chat with him.
Since the April 28 game vs. Washington, HomeIce has featured the ability to host watch parties with friends and family.
Last season's theme nights garnered a lot of attention - 3,000 users interacted during Nickelodeon Day on March 19 vs. the Dallas Stars - but HomeIce has been used even by fans in the stands at UBS Arena. Ultimately, that was the goal for this application when it was conceived.
We started to see people use it inside of the arena to create their own small gatherings, says Halkett. We'd see people comment what section they were in on the live chat, and it turned into a hangout that was exclusively made through HomeIce.
Deepening the Connection: Celebrating the 50th-Anniversary Season Aside from the home games designated as special occasions, an average of 400-500 fans used the second-screen portal throughout the 2021-22 season. Many teams
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what ...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Cross the Boundaries of the Real World into the Spirit Realm i...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
New York Islanders Augment HomeIce Digital Experience With Virtual Watch Parties Powered by BlueJeans by Verizon, the platform is connecting fans around the globe By Kristian Hern ndez, Associate Editor 
