Ditching NeuLion was the only thing the AHL had to do to really sell to the masses. Today (September 5th), the AHL announced their new streaming platform for 2018-19 which will give fans the chance for All-Access to every team in the AHL for only $79.99 a year, excluding the taxes and stuff. But this is in comparison to $349.99 from last season with NeuLion.

Seriously, if you don’t think a $270 difference will get people to subscribe, you’re wacky. Plus, the fact that they’re trying to get away from the whole NeuLion situation of using the jumbotron feed and radio call and call it a day. Of course, we don’t know how this new platform will be put out there and it could be the same old style…but at least the price is much more bearable to deal with. What NeuLion put out there is what the price now for AHL TV should have been.

Yet, the pressure is now onto the AHL TV system. They’re promoting all the bells and whistles with real-time highlight clipping, fan controlled camera, highlight sharing, all kinds of stuff detailed in their YouTube presentation. HockeyTech, who is helping with the AHL TV, is a company I haven’t heard many bad things about– but I’m sure they have their foibles as much as any other company. Yet, they could probably only go up from what was had with AHL Live.

The one thing the AHL wasn’t able to do with NeuLion is the price– with Hockey Tech at the helm, they close that gap to the fans and will be able to gather a better audience with a much better price point for the whole season. Hell, even the All-Access option is $20 more than the one-team All Access situation, so why not go for the whole league??

Smart move, AHL and here’s hoping it’ll be as good as they’re making it out to be.