Now that the schedule is out, can the CFL get it in gear and get a TV deal with an American network so that us American fans can watch some CFL Football, please????
I think they’re still doing the NFLnetwork thing again. If the NFL lockout happens, I would not be surprised to see more games added than the 14 they had last year.
Here's to hoping it's on ESPN3 again this year. Last year I think they had every game.
I believe it was only ever a one year deal with the NFL network - The CFL tv rights in the US have been for the most part re-signed each and every year and is negotiated/distributed via Trajectory Sports and Media group (www.trajectorysports.com)
This from their website:
"Canadian Football League (CFL)
The CFL is the only wholly Canadian professional sports league and rivals hockey in popularity.
Trajectory Sports & Media Group, LLC, has been involved with the growth of the Canadian Football League (CFL) since 2004, as it expands distribution and brand recognition. The 97th Grey Cup will be played in Calgary in November 2009. The Grey Cup is Canada's largest annual professional sporting event. With the support of Trajectory Sports, CFL Football has been made available to fans around the world. In 2009, live CFL action is available in more than 50 million U.S. television households each week via America One and regional sport networks."
The problem is the CFL has no long-term partner in the US and thus it's hard to build a following when your changing from network to network every year - Sports is appointment viewing but it's pretty hard to find the CFL most years in the US.
Lets hope they can get a long-term deal with someone soon.
It would also help if the friday night games from TSN could be watched around the world, not just in canada
The seized US-based domain names of these sites worked just fine for me all last season to see the actual TSN broadcast.
And now they will work just fine again because this genie is out of the bottle. And did I say it before? CABLE SUCKS!
[url=http://forums.cfl.ca/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=64467]viewtopic.php?f=14&t=64467[/url]And note for extra good measure in one of my favourite other sports, I just got free cable hooked up again too anyway. 
Good on ya for being an Als fan. In the NFL, I'm a big Giants fan. I think that as someone else posted, if the lockout occurs, you can expect demand for the CFL to increase dramatically, especially in the Baltimore area. They still have a ton of Als fans down there.
US Canadian fans have been wondering aboot a U.S TV deal for _ ever
CBC gave the games away for free to NBC in the early 80,s.
Perhaps some lobbying at Fox or another U.S. network?
They need to get rid of 'Trajectory Sports' their job IS to get the CFL onto American TV and we see how well that's worked out! And the whole CFL on NFL Network strikes me as a "sleeping with the Devil" kind of thing no?
I think it's a bit ridiculous that U.S. fans don't have a
more convenient opportunity to watch every CFL game.
There is sooooo much crap on television here... on sooooo many channels...
and re-runs of that same crap gets shown over and over and over again...
yet you're lucky if one precious game a week is available to watch.
I think even the official internet streams get blocked from U.S. addresses.
Seriously--
What is the f#@kin' deal with this ??
Again, if you have an ISP that carries ESPN 3 you can watch every game. I have my HDTV hooked up to a computer so I can simply stream the games to the big screen. It works well, though it's not HD.
ESPN 3 is carried by a minuscule amount of providers in the U.S. at this time so that’s not really an option for most Americans.
Incorrect. Comcast is BY FAR the largest ISP in the US and it carries ESPN 3. Is that a solution for ALL Americans? No, of course it isn't, but the majority are served by a cable company that carries it. Comcast alone serves 41 million homes with ESPN 3.
Not quite: Since ESPN 3 is only available online and not on the T.V. It doesn't matter how many homes have their cable service but rather who has their high speed internet and right now that's only 16.9 million people. In fact, Comcast has 16.988 million high-speed internet customers as of February 16, 2011.
Now...Take into account all the other (and much smaller) regional Cable companies in the U.S. who serve the rest of the cable viewing population and consider that many of them don't even offer internet service and I would estimate that the actual number of Americans who actually have access to ESPN 3 is probably no more than 25 million.
As per your statement about Comcast being in 41 million homes? As of September 30, 2010, Comcast serves a total of 22.9 million cable customers. So...again I say The CFL needs to have themselves on a legitimate U.S. outlet if they are to possibly draw a young generation of American fans to their brand of Football and ESPN 3 is not it! Not yet anyway.
Thank you for correcting me. I wrote that while at work and didn't take enough care.
From the same Wikipedia article you got your information from:
"With the agreement ESPN360.com became available to nearly 41 million homes, a majority of broadband homes in America."
So that's where the 41 million came from. According to Comcast it has 23.5 million cable customers and 16.3 million broadband customers.
In any case, as long as you have broadband it is much more likely than not that ESPN 3 is now available in your area if you take the time to find it and use it. If your ISP doesn't offer it now is the time to request it.
So-- It sounds like I need to
(1) have a Comcast high-speed internet connection,
(2) have an Electrical Engineering degree, and
(3) have about $3,000 worth of multimedia equipment
just to comfortably watch CFL games in my living room.
Meh.
:thdn:I suppose I'll just watch Jaws on TNT or AMC or Encore ... again.
Sorry for trying to help, but if you can log onto this site you can watch games on ESPN3. Nothing extra is needed unless you really want to watch it on TV instead of the computer. And no you don’t need Comcast if you have an ISP that already carries ESPN3.
You’re welcome.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=64467
I am not sure what got lost in translation here from previous clarifications about where to get coverage, and though Rpaege explained it well, you don't even need ESPN3.
I watched all the games for free online all year last year with few interruptions and in some cases high resolution and near HD quality as well.
It's not brain surgery. Even if you are over a certain age, it is not even as complicated as the newest cell phone that is far more than a cell phone any more with way too many features we don't use.
Just get the following together, and if you don't want to do even this then you don't really want to watch it badly enough.
- Laptop or Tablet Computer
- Hi-Speed Or Broadband Wireless Internet Of Any Kind
- See Above Links
- (Optional) Hook Up To Your TV Or Another Monitor With A Cable You Can Ask For At Best Buy Etcetera
As always, sarcasm doesn't translate properly on a Message Board.
I DO appreciate your suggestions--
but I simply don't understand why I even need to power up my computer
in this day and age of seemingly endless North American cable channels.
(It would maybe make more sense if I was overseas)