Adobe is now an official creative, marketing and AI partner of the NHL. The deal arrives just as the League prepares to open its 2026-27 regular season.
What We Know: Specifically, the NHL and its 32 Clubs gain access to Adobe CX Enterprise solutions. For starters, Adobe GenStudio will use AI to produce on-brand content across NHL.com, the app and social media. Additionally, Adobe Experience Platform and Journey Optimizer will tailor content to individual fans across app, web, email and in-arena. The League also plans to customize content for individual markets and languages.
What They Said: David Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President of Innovation and Growth Strategy: “The NHL’s greatest strength has always been the passion our fans bring to the game. As the ways people follow sports continue to evolve, our focus is on creating experiences that feel as dynamic and compelling as the game itself. Adobe will help us unlock new ways to tell the stories of our Players, Clubs and moments that define hockey, while giving fans more opportunities to be a part of it. This partnership reflects our commitment in continuing to evolve how fans connect with the game they love.”
Lara Balazs, CMO and EVP of global marketing, Adobe: “The National Hockey League has built an extraordinary connection with its fans, and Adobe is helping them take that relationship to the next level by using AI to deepen personalization and empower everyone to create. With Adobe’s enterprise solutions, the League will be able to scale relevant, engaging content across every channel where fans spend their time, fueling operational efficiencies and unlocking individual creativity.”
What Remains Unclear: However, the fan-facing creative tools remain a future possibility. Down the line, Adobe Express could let fans build content using Firefly AI and NHL-themed templates. Still, neither company has shared a launch date for those features. Likewise, neither side disclosed financial terms or the deal’s length.
What It Means: Ultimately, the deal targets the NHL’s global growth push. The League counts more than 200 million fans across 147 countries. As a result, centralized personalization could replace market-by-market experiments that are hard to scale. Moreover, the effort spans marquee events like the Stanley Cup Playoffs and NHL Global Series.
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