Daily audio insights help SHL steer club communication across the league
SHL, Sweden’s top ice hockey league, isn’t just aiming for the best hockey, they’re after the best hockey experience. That means delivering across every moment: in the arena, on screen, and in the conversations that follow. To make that happen, SHL tunes into what fans, media, and clubs are saying, from podcasts to TikTok. In a sport where emotions run high, every conversation matters.
The Swedish Hockey League (SHL), founded in 1975, is Sweden’s top ice hockey league with 14 teams, a passionate fanbase, and strong international media attention.
Robin Hedqvist SHL’s Project manager for Arena Experience and media, leads media relations and in-arena experience. Working with all 14 clubs, he aligns media presence, brand reputation, and fan engagement across every touchpoint. The goal: to elevate the SHL brand both on and off the ice.
The challenge: Seeing the full picture
SHL monitored news coverage and social media across the league, a critical part of staying on top of what’s being said. But with more and more conversations happening in spoken formats like podcasts, post-game interviews, and TikToks, the team saw a chance to go deeper.
These channels often capture unfiltered sentiment and emerging narratives, the kind of insight that’s harder to catch in traditional monitoring. With 14 clubs and fast-moving media cycles, SHL wanted a way to stay connected to the full picture and make that information easy to share across the organization.
The solution: Listening to what matters
To capture these fast-moving, spoken conversations, SHL works with All Ears, a platform that delivers daily insights from podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-first channels. Robin explains how this gives the team a broader view of the media landscape, including what’s being said out loud.
“If you want to work strategically and effectively, you need the right tools. All Ears is best in class when it comes to spoken media – and that’s critical for us.”
SHL uses All Ears for:
Daily monitoring of league and club mentions
Tracking influencer campaigns and partner visibility
Early detection of sentiment shifts or potential crises
Sharing tailored reports with clubs and partners
Supporting long-term brand and communication strategy
For SHL, it’s not just about adding more data, it’s about gaining a richer understanding of how the league is talked about, and turning those conversations into something they can act on.
The impact: From reactive to proactive
With All Ears in place, SHL has strengthened its ability to stay ahead of key conversations. The comms team now has a clearer view of how the league is perceived, and the insights to support faster, more informed decisions when it matters most. During the playoffs, when referee criticism started trending on social media and in podcasts, SHL tracked sentiment in real time, flagged risks, and aligned communication across clubs.
“We could show the clubs, here’s what’s actually being said, here’s the sentiment, and here’s why it matters. It helped us act fast and shift the tone before things escalated.”
The All Ears platform also supports campaign tracking, quarterly reporting, and daily summaries, helping SHL measure impact and keep the entire organization aligned on what’s being said across media. When you’re one organization supporting 14 clubs, a centralized tool becomes essential, helping everyone stay coordinated, consistent, and ready to respond.
The outcome: Embedded in the game plan
Today, All Ears is a core part of SHL’s communication strategy, being used daily by the central team and shared with clubs, partners, and SHL’s leadership.
“All Ears saves us a lot of time. Without tools like this, we’d have to scroll forever. Now I check All Ears every morning with my coffee. It’s one of the tools I rely on most to understand what’s happening around the league.”
Insights from spoken media now power everything from crisis response and campaign tracking to strategic reporting and brand building, all aligned with SHL’s 2030 vision.
Because delivering the best hockey experience doesn’t stop at the final whistle, it continues in the stories people tell. And SHL is making sure they hear every word.