CFL Franchise Valuations

With the news that the Calgary Flames purchased 75% of the Stampeders for a rumored $15 million and David Brayley stating on a Vancouver radio station that he pegs the Lions value at the $20 million mark, I wonder what would be the ranking of all 9 teams (including Ottawa) in the league. Here is a hypothetical list done by a Vancouver newspaper:

Note: Calgary is not noted because their value is allegedly known as the acquisition has taken place just recently.

For now, here’s how they rank.

  1. Toronto Argonauts – It’s really tempting to lump both of David Braley’s teams together, but the discrepancy between the Argos and Lions is too tough to ignore. Locker room facilities in Mississauga, Ont., were below high school standards before they burned down. Even new Argos president Chris Rudge admits the team struggles with charges of being irrelevant in southern Ontario.

  2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats – We’ve known for years that Bob Young prevented the team from going under, but he had his best chance for significant increased profitability when he proposed a new suburban facility and could only get an agreement to rebuild Ivor Wynne Stadium and must move to parts unknown for a year.

  3. Montreal Alouettes – Not sure if there was any way possible for a ranking to be this low as recently as a year ago, but empty seats at Molson Stadium have to be troublesome for owner Robert Wetenhall, whose team has almost been a vagabond in search of a permanent practice home.

  4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers – Put the prospect of a new stadium and improved product in front of the paying customer and what happens is a $2.3 million profit and $6.6 million surplus for the community-owned franchise. Winnipeg may have been crowing this week about overtaking arch-rival Saskatchewan, however there still is the matter of an $85 million stadium loan.

  5. B.C. Lions – No way you could lump in Braley’s eastern team here, right? With little or nothing down and a terrific stadium lease, the Hamilton senator has a completely remodeled playpen

  6. Saskatchewan Roughriders – What they lack in stadium amenities is more than balanced by year-round football discussion, $10.3 million in 2010-11 merchandise sales and $6.6 million profit in their last fiscal year, which is why they’re already making $14.4 million worth of improvements to Mosaic Stadium a year before hosting the Grey Cup.

  7. Edmonton Eskimos – You know things are going well when their decision-makers have to practically look for projects in which to reinvest. Seats at Commonwealth Stadium are next. With $9.1 million in their trust fund after indoor practice field renovations that would be the envy of any NFL club, it might even be enough to make the paying customer forget they traded Ricky Ray.

Thoughts?

[url=http://blogs.theprovince.com/2012/04/06/uproar-different-kind-of-cfl-power-rankings/]http://blogs.theprovince.com/2012/04/06 ... -rankings/[/url]

It seems strange to me to see Montreal at #5, but I don't see them being worth more than many teams ahead of them in the list. The Eskimos are certainly the most valuable franchise in the league. I guess it's hard to tell, but the list seems reasonable. The Stamps selling for 15 million gives a pretty good barometer I'd say

I was wondering the same thing. I don’t see Montreal being 5th. With their unique broadcast deal, and their absolutely massive corporate sponsorships, i would think they would at least be in the top 3 with the stadium being the only real thing holding them back from being ranked even higher

Larry Smith as been quoted as saying the Al's have revenue close to that of the 39 million Riders

Are the Argos even worth $1? My understanding was that Braley stepped in and assumed the debts and basically took over the team for nothing. Apparently nobody else was willing to go near the toxic waste dump known as the Argonaut franchise and only the heroics of Braley saved the Toronto franchise - - and depending on who you believe, saved the CFL.

BTW, in case you haven't heard yet Dave Braley is a senator. The CFL seems to like throwing that little add-on in when they have the chance. I'm wondering when the CFL will start a campaign to have Braley receive knighthood. I guess until he becomes "Sir" Dave Braley, he'll be able to take comfort in being gifted with the golden goose - - errr, I mean the Grey Cup - - in back to back years.

Braley has saved a couple of teams , not just the ARGOS.

And he will get a lot of the profits from the 2011 and 2012 Grey Cups. If he still owns both teams in 2013 or so he will get 2 x the money that the other CFL teams get from the new T.V. contract.

BELL actually owns a big part of 2 hockey teams now. Montreal & Toronto. So Braley is not the only one in sports owning 2 teams any more. He also has friends in high places in the Canadian Government. :thup:

Massive corporate sponshorships?

Ya, the Als benefit from being in a large market with virtually no competition for sponsorship $$$ from corporations. They were the main benefactors of the demise of the Expos as they inherited virtually all of their corporate support. While president, Larry Smith acknowledged that there corporate support was almost as large as the rest of the league combined. Mind you that was a few years ago now and the situation has gotten better for the other teams. Remember there was a time not too long ago when corporate Canada wouldn’t touch the CFL with a 10 foot pole.