Image: Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals has unveiled a ‘virtual gameday’ experience for supporters in collaboration with video technology specialist Kiswe whilst being forced to play fixtures behind closed doors.

The National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, which is owned by Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE), will offer a second screen experience available for mobile and electronic devices.

The offering will feature pre-game player warm-ups, player introduction videos, starting lineups and live game stats, and a chat function that will allow fans to interact with each other.

Each virtual gameday features a recorded version of the national anthem, timeout and intermission sponsored activations, and a sweepstake presented by Capital One that will give fans a chance to win a retro Capitals jersey.

MSE’s Chief Marketing Officer, Hunter Lockmann, commented: “Nothing will replace the excitement of having our great fans at Capital One Arena, but the Capitals are thrilled to partner with Kiswe to convey the amazing arena atmosphere to fans at home.

“Capitals virtual gameday is an incredible second screen experience that offers our fans both familiar and new interactive elements while also allowing the organisation to engage with corporate partners in an innovative digital format.”

Last month, National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Washington Wizards launched a virtual gameday experience ahead of the new season to engage with fans in their absence. The Wizards are also owned by MSE.

Furthermore, the NHL team has released a new-look third jersey for the 2020/21 season, that will be worn across seven select dates. Across those games, the Capitals will honour a frontline worker as the team’s ‘Blue Star of the Game’, who will receive a jersey and be named as honorary member of the game’s starting lineup.

The uniform is modelled on the 2018 NHL Stadium Series and will make its debut when the Capitals take on the New York Islanders in the East Division tomorrow.

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