Vertical: Sports / Venues
Application: On-ice performance analytics, officiating connectivity, broadcast media capture, fan engagement, venue operations
Ecosystem: Verizon Business, Sony
Private Network: 5G
The National Hockey League has become the first professional sports league in the United States to open a dedicated facility for testing and validating technology in a simulated arena environment. The NHL Innovation Lab, powered by Verizon, is housed inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey – home of the New Jersey Devils – and formalizes what has been a long-standing relationship between the league and Verizon, its official 5G partner.
At the heart of the lab is a private 5G wireless network, built by Verizon Business and paired with its Secure Cloud Interconnect (SCI) solution. Together, these create what the partners describe as a dedicated “express lane” for data – high-bandwidth, low-latency, and secured – intended to support everything from near real-time statistics and analytics to advanced broadcast production and player safety systems.
The ambition, as stated by the NHL, is to use the space to develop practical tools for venue staff, hockey operations, game officials, coaches, and players. One early application involves enhancing live video delivery to coaches via iPads on the bench, allowing tactical data to reach decision-makers faster and more securely during games. The lab will also explore wireless connectivity supporting real-time alerts sent to Apple Watches worn by NHL Officials through the NHL Watch Comms app.
“The NHL Innovation Lab powered by Verizon is an important next chapter in our technology and innovation journey. We continue to be committed to leveraging new and emerging technology to benefit every aspect of our game, and the NHL Innovation Lab gives us the ability to test, validate and refine new technology on the ice, in real game environments, all year round right in our own backyard,” stated Dave Lehanski, NHL Executive Vice President, Business Development and Innovation.
On the broadcast side, the increased bandwidth enabled by the SCI solution allows the league to develop advanced media workflows in collaboration with Sony, targeting 4K and 8K content capture at scale. The lab features a Sony Crystal LED direct-view display and Sony Hawk-Eye camera systems installed throughout the adjacent RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House practice rink. These complement Sony broadcast and production equipment already deployed in the main arena.
The facility is also intended to serve as a testing ground for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, with the private network providing the low-latency foundation those workloads require. According to Verizon, the infrastructure is designed to scale as data demands grow, helping the NHL keep pace with evolving performance requirements rather than retrofitting systems down the line.
“By deploying Verizon’s Private 5G Wireless Network and Secure Cloud Interconnect (SCI) solutions, we are providing a dedicated, high-speed, and secure technology foundation for the NHL to incubate and validate next-generation solutions. We are proud to serve as the technological partner that helps the NHL strengthen its game, said Kyle Malady, CEO, Verizon Business.
For Verizon, the project carries significance beyond the ice. Massimo Peselli, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for Global Enterprise and Public Sector, framed it as a demonstration of what private mobile networks can deliver in high-performance environments more broadly – a proof point applicable across industries that depend on reliable, secure, and high-throughput connectivity.
