I have noticed that there are many commercials on TSN hyping the start of the NFL season, “only three days to go!” etc; yet I cannot remember one single add promoting the start of the CFL season, can anyone else? There was definitely no promotion on CTV for the CFL which I guess makes sense since CTV doesn’t support their own country but only the USA.
Even the Grey Cup comes in with a whimper but the Super Bowl is hammered at us for two weeks.
money
What annoys me is TSN running slick hi-pressure promos for CTV NFL Sunday games during CFL broadcasts, while ignoring their own Sunday CFL game on TSN? As a result, some viewers might be enticed to watch the much-hyped NFL game on Sunday, not realizing a CFL game is being broadcast in the same time-slot.
Money? Bell pays the NFL for their TV rights, probably more than the CFL for very comparable ratings. So they need to recoup that investment through ad revenue. I think Bell believe’s there’s more upside to the NFL…while anybody who wants to watch the CFL already knows when the games are on.
To be fair, TSN does a tremendous job for the CFL, that’s why the league keeps renewing their exclusive TV contract without entertaining competitive bids. TSN production values are excellent as is their overall promotion of the league (sans Sunday games 
)
Does anyone know what are the ratings for Sunday NFL games versus those of the CFL?
(Yes, follow the money. 8))
Yes not sure why in Canada when the US promotes it on their networks the CRTC
doesn’t clamp down on the US culture invasion on a vehicle that is only alive because of Canadian content .
I like the NFL but I can’t stand the CTV I couldn’t care less about TSN promoting it . CTV is not the friend a friend needs when it over promotes one over the other .
Then CTV the owner of the Argos wonders why they have an empty stadium .
Pure Media rights schizophrenia . Let alone the other two owners .
The other owners wanted a NFL team they bid a billion on the BILLs and one of them put the team in straight competition with the Bills in the same stadium .
CFL need to get it’s bed in order with media rights holders both in the US and Canada the next round with strict rules on quality , promotion and spin off content .
Since Yahoo pulled the plug on Yahoo Sports Canada and Chris Zelkovich's sports ratings column, there hasn't been a reliable replacement for info.
Up until about 5 years ago, CFL ratings were generally higher than the NFL. But with CTV/TSN taking over the NFL from Rogers, they've heavily promoted the NFL and have seen considerable rating increases.
All NFL Sunday 1:00 games combined were drawing 500k to 700k on Rogers, which jumped to 700k to 900k about 3 years ago with CTV/TSN.
Sunday CFL games up against the NFL used to hold their own, but Sunday CFL ratings have declined recently since CTV/TSN took over the NFL (Sunday CFL games often feature Montreal, with half the Al's fanbase watching on RDS, whichnormallyaren't included in published CFL ratings).
Monday, Sunday and Thursday Night NFL games have not fared as well, often drawing fewer than 500k viewers despite being simulcast on CTV & TSN. For comparison, Sunday night football in America was drawing 40 million viewers a couple years ago, the most watch program on U.S. television (NFL ratings have dropped 19% over the past two seasons.)
Who are we to blame TSN? The network is going to promote the biggest viewership. That’s the NFL.
That’s just exploiting the market like all good businesses do. TSN is a broadcaster, not a promoter.
Not only did it not happen, the reverse of promoting CFL on the NFL and our main CTV would never happen.
Again, it’s a concerted effort by the program director and or the ad agencies to purposely keep the CFL down a notch only on the TSN feed and to include nothing more than a minor league in comparison.
Another example of a US wannabe at the business stage.
The Grey Cup last year was FANTASTIC, the best I can remember in years, even ESPN and such were talking about it; too bad it didn’t get any hype here.
I am going to try watching a few NFL games this year, but every time I do I realize one thing over and over, the receivers in the NFL would not make it in the CFL, at least not with the effort they show (based upon my limited NFL watching). How many times a ball that a CFL receiver would kill himself for (Banks this last weekend for instance) the NFL receiver just throws his hands up as if to say “why bother, it isn’t right to me”.
Once again, based upon my limited viewership.
Like me, why watch at all as I certainly have not for years.
It’s crap entertainment with nothing more than overpaid athletes who could not play in the CFL if their lives depended on it.
Trust me, you don't want to switch back and forth between the 2. The CFL game, unless it's in Winnipeg or Sask, looks like a Sunday afternoon at the local neighborhood park, in terms of production, ambiance and atmosphere.
TSN or do you mean CTV . TSN I understand being a sports network .
But when you have big brother who has a farther reach ; you know there is a bigger agenda to grow the NFL in Canada .
NFL does okay but the CFL viewership is about equal right now but not much longer with a national network of our own going deep into the national psyche that football really starts in the fall .
So when the rights holder of a foreign league goes all out with a much further
investment even though the US networks already cover it how does that translate in
the primary objective of having national networks to promote our culture .
If this is not the case then they the Canadian networks should not receive any protection from the larger US networks . Right .
Fair is fair if it’s just economics and laissez faire attitude towards our own .
I just don’t know why the CFL is not putting a bigger fight maybe because they unfortunately made a deal with a fox in the hen house .
Smarter leadership required .
TSN has invested a lot in the NFL and they want every last viewer they can find. If I was them I’d be promoting the NFL on CFL telecasts as well since there are many crossover fans and you want to be sure they know the NFL is starting this week and get ready to watch.
Then CTV the owner of the Argos wonders why they have an empty stadiumHank, I don't think promoting the NFL games that CTV is airing has anything to do with the Argos situation. Just what I believe.
That’s the point though ; why bother with the Argos if your sending a message that this team is not the real show .
Doesn’t make sense on the surface .
But back to CTV .
If your saying football really starts this Thursday what are you saying to your audience .
Argos who are they ? There not the real thing . So why go to BMO ?
TSN I am good with I understand with the NFL interest but CTV no .
The CTV over the top NFL propaganda start is a little contrary to what your trying to sell in the GTA for the CFL . Then not doubling up the Grey Cup but going full blanket for the Super Bowl is insulting to the Canadian Broadcasting industry .
Why have a CTV as it just simulcasts everything from the south and call it CBS north or whatever US network ?
At least TSN being a sports network makes sense but with CTV your sending a message to your larger target audience that the NFL is football in Canada .
Well I guess we just see things a bit differently on this. Just carrying all CFL games with no blackouts seems to be a “real show” in it’s own right I’d say. Promoting the NFL as a main broadcaster where there are no teams in Canada anyways, I just don’t see this affecting the Argos really. But that’s just my take on it. They have some ad time and CTV/TSN is promoting a product they are paying highly for and I think the advertisers paying for ads on CTV/TSN may be demanding that CTV/TSN really promote the NFL product as much as possible.
Maybe you are thinking a “conflict of interest” here in some aspect with CTV/TSN carrying both the CFL and NFL as major products of gridiron football and something has to give as only one can be “no. 1” so to speak with a single broadcaster?
I totally understand what you saying . CTV owes there advertisers promotional NFL ads .
But this is contrary to our core why we have Canadian Broadcasters in the first place and fair practice .
We can easily have CBS north based out of Toronto with local and national news .
Then just sell the ads and keep the money here . No difference than what we have with CTV .
So what is the difference in the core principal other than it’s owned by Canadian owners who probably live most of their time somewhere else .
From where I stand I don’t see why we have CBC , CTV , Global if they are not restricted to some content that interferes with an industry that has value to our national indentity which is why we have Canadian broadcasters rules in the first place .
We do it for print media , for the music industry etc… it’s time we did it for sports .
The NFL over priced content on CTV is a back door left open and why the CFL is not fighting back with fair practice restrictions on a national historical industry is questionable management of using the same standards other entertainment within Canada has used to over come our southern elephant to ensure a fair playing field .
CBC actually has a license for a sports network why they haven’t pulled the pin and attacked the industry head on with a stronger mandate rules for Can/CON is odd .
Maybe Rogers knows they have quite the deal set up with our tax payer backed broadcaster who has a clear and higher mandate for Can/Con .
Strange bedfellows when you play nice with your enemy so they can be bigger and stronger than you .
Why not let them sink like all other private industry in a free market and just wait to fight another day instead collaborating especially when your not a money making
venture but a cultural protector and you lose one of your biggest free market profitable ventures.
Just a odd deal for a federal tax payer broadcaster to assist a competitor compete with a larger platform that it cannot provide on it’s own for nothing but a brochure of the CBC stable of programming .
How is that fair ???
Can I go in and get the same deal ?
I do think there is a certain percentage of Canadians who don't think Canadian culture and identity should be protected in any way as part of the new globalization of the world and that in this age of neoliberalism everything needs to sink or swim on it's own in this global marketplace, including sports, literature, theatre, music etc. I wouldn't be surprised if the percentage of Canadians who think this way is actually quite high to tell you the truth. I may be wrong but I don't think so.
As a type of example of this, look at this with regards to NAFTA and this writer questioning the importance of culture. In the mainstream media:
Trudeau says no NAFTA without cultural exemption — is it really that important?
Good read Earl .
The Trans Pacific Deal apparently was also a bad deal for Canadian cultural exemptions and the US was not pushing for that one so were under attack every direction .
Yes but why do we allow the US channels ?
Tech can block everything now for 90 percent of the population .
Why not level the playing field and restrict that content to 20 percent US content and 20 percent everywhere else then create a free market within our own country .
With us so close to the giant we have options to use to enhance our own identity but still give the consumer all the US content it wants but over a broader spectrum of Canada channels when dispersed over a lower US content rule .
You can still watch all the Big Bang theory and Wheel of Fortune but over a Canadian content rule that has a level playing field for all . This creates a stronger market and more advertising revenue for Can/CON .
No simulcasts necessary as the US networks will be a non player .