Adobe has expanded its presence in sports by becoming the NHL’s official creative, marketing and AI partner, adding the North American ice hockey league to a growing portfolio of sports properties.
Announced ahead of the start of the 2026 NHL regular season, the partnership will give the league and all 32 NHL franchises access to a range of Adobe platforms, including GenStudio, Experience Platform, Journey Optimizer and Express.
The NHL will use the technology to enhance and personalize fan experiences across its digital ecosystem, with the partnership focused on the creation and distribution of fan-centric content as well as more personalized communications across channels including mobile applications.
The agreement also gives Adobe a direct role in the league’s digital content and fan engagement operations, moving beyond a traditional sponsorship model centred primarily on brand visibility.
David Lehanski, NHL executive vice president of innovation and growth strategy, said Adobe would help the league find new ways to tell the stories of its players, clubs and defining moments while creating more opportunities for fans to engage with the sport.
Adobe builds a wider sports ecosystem
The NHL deal comes as Adobe continues to expand its commercial presence across major sports properties.
The company renewed and expanded its long-standing partnership with Major League Baseball in March and is also a sponsor of the NFL and the Premier League.
The NHL, meanwhile, has added several major commercial partnerships in recent months. In September, Michelob Ultra became the league’s official beer partner, while DoorDash joined as its official on-demand delivery and pickup partner.
For Adobe, the NHL agreement strengthens a strategy increasingly centred on technology integration within sports organisations.
By combining content creation, artificial intelligence, marketing automation and fan data, the company is positioning its platforms as tools that can support the digital operations of leagues and clubs as well as their commercial and fan engagement strategies.
The partnership also highlights the growing role of AI and personalization in the sports business, as rights holders look to create more targeted digital experiences and deepen engagement with audiences across their platforms.