Context:
After missing both the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics and shelving the World Cup of Hockey since 2016, the NHL had gone nearly a decade without letting its superstars compete under their national flags.
Fan demand for a “best-on-best” return kept growing, broadcasters wanted a marquee international property to bridge seasons, and players themselves were vocal about representing their countries.
The league fast-tracked the Four Nations Showcase—slotted midway through the 2024-25 calendar—to reignite global rivalries, prime audiences for a future World Cup, and prove hockey’s cross-border appeal in a single, high-intensity event.
Action:
Dedicated micro-teams for each country’s content (language, tone, cultural cues).
Infographics on national traditions, watch-party recipes, and fan-submitted chants.
Real-time Instagram Stories and X polls letting fans crown the day’s “loudest” nation.
Behind-the-scenes medal ceremony footage, instant reaction interviews, and country-specific thank-you posts.
Insights:
Early behind-the-scenes clips out-performed match highlights by 3× engagement.
Culture-forward posts (food, idioms, hometown trivia) sparked the most shares.
Real-time polls kept fans refreshing feeds, doubling Story completion rates.
