The NHL Lockout

NHL L.OCKOUT Presented by: MMediaMiser TURNING NEWS INTO KNOWLEDGE In September 2012, the NHL began its lockout. Rinks were silent, players were suddenly stuck with very little to do and fans were, in a word, upset. Twitter sentiment toward the NHL and its players in September was just 12% positive. But then an agreement was reached... 3, 000 Jan. 6: Tentative Which caused a: agreement to end lockout announced, sentiment rises to 30% positive. Jan. 9: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman publicly apologizes to fans, sponsors. spike in Twitter volume, and Sentiment drops to 14% positive that day. 1145% 2, 500 2, 000 1, 500 16% 1, 000 500 jump in positive sentiment towards the league. Tweets Jan. 3 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 8 Jan. 1 Jan. 2 Jan. 5 Jan. 6 Jan. 9 Jan. 10 Who was first on the news? Among others, none other than legendary NYC DJ Funkmaster Flex: The final week: Top hashtags #NHLPA I#Hockey NHL: League & Union Reach Tentative Agreement to End Lockout -http://t.co/ pcRdHiYD #IFWT I#CONFIRMED I#sports #NHL I#lockout I#bruins #NHLlockout I#finally #endthelockout @funkmasterflex Top users by followers during the final week Top influencers during the final week _Happy_Gilmore ComplexMag YahooPuckDaddy rsarver darrenrovell Followers MinnesotaBurns RobRossi_Trib Influence rating FRANCE24 THR (The Hollywood Reporter) mossa41 Hockeyylnsiderr funkmasterflex JADEDPUNKHULK Forbes Proteautype AP BillSimmons PatrickCaisse Buccigross AP 1,000,000 20 2,000,000 40 60 80 For the league and its players, sentiment changed over time: September Tone October Tone January Tone 16% 21% 16% 12% Negative 72% 14% Positive 65% Negative 22% I Positive 62% Negative Neutral Positive INeutral I Neutral Top links during the final week Twitter mentions #DREGERFACE "Hit Nike Ad Speaks to Hockey Fans' Angst as NHL Lockout Drags on" A special New Years' treat was in store for TSN hockey analyst Darren Dreger in early January, after this pic was snapped of him: 91 Astronaut Chris Hadfield's "Go Leafs!" Twitter status 83 Post on GetRealHockey.com 75 PuckDaddy.com breaking lockout news It spawned dozens of 57 Internet memes and #DregerFace photo, by Real ESPNLebrun was tweeted about hundreds of times. 53 © 2013 MediaMiser Ltd.