NHL unveils updated app ahead of the 2014-15 season
The NHL has updated its GameCenter app to provide fans with free access to features previously only offered to paid subscribers.
The new NHL live app offers game highlights, scores and the latest news from around the league for the 2014-15 season along with a brand new look.
The design team that created the new app knew that some big things needed to change from the previous version. "Before, everything was scores. It was a complicated process to find other content in the app," said Matt Restivo, one of the app's designers. "But we wanted to create an experience that would give users access to everything that's going on in the league."
The redesign began in April when the team began to define the requirements of the new app. They spent 2 months drawing the design by hand before they had something they could code. "The navigation was the first problem we tried to draw," Restivo told us. "We wanted to make sure all our features required only one- or two-click navigation."
NHL Live will not only give users access to stats and scores, but it's now easier than ever to access game video and press conferences, navigate to team apps, and listen to game audio. In addition, the new app pulls in social media content from Twitter, Instagram, and other apps to give fans a true behind-the-scenes experience.
Users will still need to purchase a subscription to stream NHL games on the app, but those who do will be able to choose from multiple angles while watching games to choose the best angle to watch the action from.
The program is available for mobile and tablets for both Android and Apple products. "The Android UI is different from iOS to be more familiar to users of each phone."
This slew of changes has created a wonderfully functional, informative app for hockey fans. When asked about his favorite thing about the new app, Restivo said, "The feeling that at any moment in the day, I can catch up on hockey. That was the most important thing for us."
Follow Extra Mustard and Nicole Conlan on Twitter