NHL Big City Greens Classic continues the movement of kids-focused sports broadcasts

Last night, the NHL, along with the help of ESPN and Disney, continued the movement of kids-focused sports broadcasts with the introduction of the "NHL Big City Greens Classic." The first-ever fully animated game telecast followed along live with the matchup between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals.

"Tonight, Disney is airing an animated, alternate broadcast of the Caps-Rangers game — the "NHL Big City Greens Classic." It's using live, real-time animations of players modeled after Disney's show, "Big City Greens". - Front Office Sports

Aside from broadcasting the game live in animation, ESPN Creative Studios and Silver Spoon created motion-captured animated versions of ESPN commentators Kevin Weekes and Drew Carter calling the game.

They also aired live interviews with characters from the Emmy Award-winning animated series using live facial-capture technology.

"This whole kids broadcast is gold. @KevinWeekes looking fresh in the booth." - Nasher

ESPN Creative Studio designed and modeled stylized 3D players to be used as avatars representing the players and animated via live tracking data in conjunction with Beyond Sports. The combination allowed for the animation to be matched exactly to the live action.

The 'NHL Big City Greens Classic' is another step towards more child-based sports broadcasts, following in the footsteps of the 'NFL on Nickelodeon'. Also known as NFL Slimetime, the combination of exciting action of NFL football with the zany antics of Nickelodeon has been a wild success among families and children.

In highlight reels, the channel implemented digital, comic strip-like animations such as white smoke, green slime, and blue lightning. Players were also given superimposed googly eyes and hamburger hats. They also hand out the Nickelodeon Valuable Player, to the top player of the game.

"The NFL Slimetime announcement of Travis Kelce’s award is fairly extravagant." - @HaroldRKuntz3

With fans hoping to not only watch their favorite team play but also want to spend quality time with their children, these new child-inclusive broadcasts provide an ideal alternative for everyone.

The current partnership with the hit television series Big City Greens will only help the NHL build its brand and sport among younger fans. With a growing emphasis on kid-inclusive broadcasts, it won't be long until there is some version of this in every major sports league.

What is Big City Greens?

The animated series, which debuted in 2018 on the Disney Channel, follows farmer Bill Green and his two children Cricket and Tilly as they move in with his mother Alice Green (Gramma), who lives on a small farm in the middle of a city known as "Big City."

The series has won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 2020. The show has featured several notable guest stars, including Jon Hamm, Wiz Khalifa, and Rob Riggle.