SHL

Name

SHL

Legal name

Svenska Hockeyligan AB

Website

https://shl.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional ice hockey league operations

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Hockey Leagues (MPAKAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting) (MPAKALAK), Sports Rights Agencies & Brokers (Acquisition/Packaging) (MPABAJAH)

Keywords

• Professional ice hockey league
• Media rights management
• Sports sponsorship sales
• Fantasy hockey gaming
• Broadcast distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Johanneshov

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcasting Rights: SHL AB manages radio and TV broadcasting rights on behalf of member clubs, selling media rights to television networks including TV4, C More, and Discovery for match broadcasts.
2. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Collective sponsorship deals negotiated by SHL AB for member clubs, including main sponsors, official partners, and playoff partners. Main partners include Norrlandsguld and XLbygg. Official partners include Amazon, Telia, BWHotels, SEB, Trygghansa, Red Bull.
3. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from live match attendance at arenas across Sweden. SHL reported new attendance records with over 2.8 million total attendees including playoffs.
4. League Operations: SHL AB represents member clubs and manages common commercial and sports interests including media rights and collective sponsorship agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Svenska Hockeyligan AB (SHL) operates Sweden's top professional ice hockey league, running a 14-team, 52-game regular season followed by playoffs for the Le Mat trophy. SHL AB manages collective commercial interests on behalf of the member clubs — including TV and media rights licensing, centralized sponsorship sales, officiating, and the Situationsrum video review operations — and operates digital fan platforms (SHL.se, Fantasy SHL, SHL Play, PowerPlay) plus mobile and broadcast distribution through TV4, C More/Discovery, and international broadcast partners.

Product overview

SHL operates as Sweden's premier professional ice hockey league offering a digital ecosystem centered on SHL.se, the official website providing news, statistics, schedules, and team information. The product portfolio includes Fantasy SHL and PowerPlay as fantasy gaming platforms, SHL Play for video highlights, and various content features like the Månadens Spelare award program and SHL Awards ceremony. Additional offerings include educational content (Det här är hockey), calendar integration tools, sustainability reporting, and initiatives addressing illegal streaming. The league maintains partnerships with TV4 for broadcast coverage and provides RSS feeds for content syndication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SHL Professional Ice Hockey Season Sweden's top professional ice hockey competition featuring 14 clubs playing a 52-game regular season followed by playoffs culminating in the Le Mat trophy. Delivered for the 14 member clubs and Swedish hockey fans.
• SHL.se Official Digital Platform Official website and digital platform providing comprehensive coverage of Swedish hockey including news, match schedules, statistics, standings, team rosters, video highlights, and live content. Produced and operated by Sportality AB on behalf of SHL AB.
• Fantasy SHL Manager Game Official fantasy sports manager game for SHL allowing fans to create and manage virtual hockey teams using real SHL player statistics. Opens seasonally around August with support via [email protected].
• PowerPlay Fantasy Platform Fantasy sports platform integrated within SHL's ecosystem offering fantasy gaming experiences alongside the official league content.
• SHL Play Video Highlights Video platform providing match highlights, video content, and YouTube integration for SHL match coverage and hockey-related video material.
• SHL iCal Match Schedule Integration Downloadable calendar file (.ics format) service allowing users to import SHL match schedules into personal calendar applications, with embedded links to tickets, TV broadcasts, Fantasy, videos, and match statistics.
• SHL RSS Content Feed RSS feed endpoint at https://www.shl.se/api/articles/rss that allows external applications and services to subscribe to and syndicate SHL news articles and content updates.
• Situationsrum Video Review Operations Central operations room handling video goal decisions (VMD) and player safety reviews across all SHL matches, monitoring TV broadcast cameras and providing expert evaluation of game situations for goal legitimacy, rule compliance, and player safety incidents.
• Månadens Spelare (Player of the Month Award) Monthly award program recognizing outstanding SHL player performances, sponsored by Svenska Spel with the Hejapriset prize of 10,000 SEK donated to hockey development projects.
• SHL Awards Ceremony Annual award ceremony recognizing excellence in Swedish hockey across multiple categories including Goalie of the Year, Forward of the Year, and Defenseman of the Year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record attendance of 2,899,578 total (2025/2026) with 7,047 average per game
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• TV4 GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish free-to-air broadcaster for SHL matches. TV4 Play Kampanj mentioned for subscription services. Full match coverage including studio presentations and game broadcasts throughout season.
• Discovery (C More)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPay-TV broadcaster for SHL content. TV graphics produced by Statnet for Discovery as well as C More and TV4. Studio productions and match broadcasts included.
• NorrlandsguldflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner (Huvudpartner) of SHL. Swedish beer brand with logo prominently displayed on SHL platforms and broadcast graphics.
• XLbyggflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner (Huvudpartner) of SHL. Building materials retailer with brand visibility across SHL channels.
• Svenska SpelflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsor (Huvudsponsor) for SHL Player of the Month award (Månadens Spelare). Provides Hejapriset of 10,000 SEK for hockey development projects. Long-standing partnership for Swedish hockey recognition.
• Amazon SwedencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner (Officiell Partner) of SHL. E-commerce platform with brand presence across SHL platforms.
• TeliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner providing TV/sport streaming services for SHL content in Sweden. Brand visibility on SHL platforms.
• SEBcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner (Officiell Partner) of SHL. Financial services brand with presence across SHL channels.
• TrygghansacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner (Officiell Partner) of SHL. Insurance company with brand visibility on SHL platforms.
• Red Bull SwedencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner (Officiell Partner) of SHL. Energy drink brand with presence across SHL marketing channels.
• VisacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayoff Partner (Slutspelspartner) for SHL postseason. Payment brand visibility during championship playoffs.
• KronfågelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayoff Partner (Slutspelspartner) for SHL postseason. Food brand partner for championship playoffs.
• Statnet ABcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides official statistics for SHL and TV graphics production for C More, TV4, and Discovery. Offices in Stockholm with future opportunities for on-site productions. Develops graphics including clock with results, name tags, tables, and statistics.
• Sportality ABcoreTechnology or IntegrationProduces, develops, and operates SHL.se official website. Delivers latest news about clubs, leaders, and players. Provides table standings, statistics, comments, expert analyses, and video content.
• 14 SHL Member Clubs (IF Björklöven, Brynäs IF, Djurgården Hockey, Frölunda HC, Färjestad BK, HV71, Linköping HC, Luleå Hockey, Malmö Redhawks, Rögle BK, Skellefteå AIK, Timrå IK, Växjö Lakers, Örebro Hockey)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder clubs in Svenska Hockeyligan AB. Collectively own and operate the league through SHL AB organization. Each club represented in governance with board members from various clubs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Champions Hockey League (CHL): The Champions Hockey League is the pan-European club ice hockey competition in which SHL clubs participate annually. Comparable as a centralized ice hockey commercial rights and broadcast operator across European leagues, but it operates as an overarching competition rather than a domestic league.
• International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF): The IIHF is the global governing body for ice hockey, sanctioning international tournaments and world championships. Comparable to SHL in operating a centralized ice hockey governance, events and rights structure, but at an international governing/federation level rather than as a commercial domestic league.

Direct peers

• Extraliga (Czech Republic): Czechia's top professional ice hockey league run by the Czech Ice Hockey Association. Directly comparable to SHL as a national top-tier league with similar team count, broadcast structure and Champions Hockey League participation, serving a comparable-sized European hockey market.
• Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL / Penny DEL): Germany's top professional ice hockey league. It is directly comparable to SHL as a national top-tier league operating centralized media rights, league-wide sponsorship and a similar franchise-based match schedule; SHL and DEL both participate in the Champions Hockey League, reinforcing their like-for-like positioning.
• National League (Swiss ice hockey): Switzerland's top professional ice hockey league operated by the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation. Directly comparable to SHL as a national top-tier league with franchise-based structure, centralized broadcasting rights and sponsorship, and similar matchday economics in a smaller European market.
• ICE Hockey League (Austria): Austria's top professional ice hockey league (formerly EBEL). Directly comparable to SHL as a Central European national top-tier league with similar franchise structure, centralized media rights and Champions Hockey League participation; co-distributed across multiple countries including Austria, Hungary and Slovenia.
• Liiga (Finnish Hockey League): Liiga is Finland's top professional ice hockey league, the closest direct peer to SHL. Both are Nordic national top-tier leagues with comparable structure (14-15 teams, centralized media rights, similar sponsor portfolios) and share cross-border player movement and broadcast partnerships (MTV for Liiga, TV4/Discovery for SHL).

Regional players

• HockeyAllsvenskan: HockeyAllsvenskan is Sweden's second-tier professional ice hockey league and operates as the SHL qualification/feeder league under the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Comparable to SHL in running a Swedish professional hockey league with broadcast, sponsorship and ticketing economics, but serving the second tier and not directly competing for the same revenue tier.

Broad incumbents

• National Hockey League (NHL): The NHL is the global apex professional ice hockey league. It is comparable to SHL because both operate a professional ice hockey league with shared commercial logic — media rights sales, centralized sponsorship, franchise-based structure and similar digital/fantasy fan engagement — but the NHL operates on a vastly larger North American scale and pulls elite Swedish talent from SHL.
• Kontinental Hockey League (KHL): The KHL is a multi-country professional ice hockey league operating across Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and previously further afield. Comparable to SHL in running a top-tier league with centralized media rights and sponsorship, but at a much larger and broader geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shlse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@shl
• Facebookfacebook.com/SHLse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/svenska-hockeyligan-ab
• Instagraminstagram.com/shlofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@shlofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SHL