I'm getting to the point where I don't think the league even wants those of us in the states to watch games, where a month away from week 1 kickoff and they haven't released a U.S. Broadcast schedule. While I know the league gets no money, just exposure, letting the various channels down here pick up there telecast, their going to lose said exposure if they don't let us know when and where to find the games down here.
They really need to work out a broadcast rights deal with the NFL Network, allowing them to use their own announcers and techie crews so that the games can be done better. And they should do it soon.
I've had that same thought myself Bill, I think the NFL would go for it, at least during June and early July, this would be the best exposure, because only football fans go to NFL network, although I look for CFL games on the various Fox sportsnets and other regional channels I get through Directv, most people stumble across the games looking for baseball, but guys turning to NFL network in the early summer months are looking to cure their football jones and would probably not only like it, but feel better about watching it because the NFL is showing it, alot of the criticism of the CFL in the states has more to do with loyalty to the NFL than actual dislike of the CFL.
With most of the CFL games on Friday night it would seem to me that the NFL Network could broadcast every game live all the way to Grey Cup. I have Directv as well, and having games come through the various FSN's thru TSN and CBC isn't working that great. Broadcasts could seriously use and upgrade. Also, somebody in Ottawa and somebody in DC need to introduce whatever legislation is necessary so that Directv can have TSN, CBC, RDS, and Rogers Sportsnet on their channel menu. That would be acceptable too.
I agree with you on the criticism of the CFL here. I think the Arena League had the same problem at one point.
Bill
I'd for sure buy NFL Network if I got CFL games...I just dropped my premium sports package cause there was nothing on it I really wanted to see (namely rugby and CFL football).
If you watch any NFLEurope games, they, the NFL hired announcers will occasionally mention the CFL in high regard, given that, and the agreement the leagues have on players switching leagues, I do think with NFL influence the CFL could flourish in the states, most of the things the leagues do together I hear about on here, basically the NFL uses their connection with the CFL to promote football in general, the CFL should ask them to trade off that and get them some coverage here in the states, beleive me, the NFL wants and needs the CFL, they wouldn't have invented NFLEurope, if they felt they had enough options out there for guys to stay in football shape, even though they may not have been noticed or good enough the first time a scout came along.
This thought just popped into my head. A few years ago, Vince McMahon tried to buy the CFL in order to start his XFL league. The CFL refused (praise God) for obvious reasons. But what if the NFL bought the CFL? If they purchased the league, didn't change the rules or the content laws, but promoted the CFL more, would we, as fans, accept that?
Reportedly Vince offered the CFL $100M collectively to join up. We are all glad that it was declined and probably one of the few things the BOG's ever did right. But, I do remember various nae sayers and anti CFL media saying it would doom the league.
1st: I e-mailed the CFL yesterday and the international broadcast schedule should be out within a week to ten days.
2nd: The CFL always waits until the last minute to announce this schedule because it's harder to nail things down.
3rd: IMO you really don't want an nfl t.v. contract to show CFL games. I would think that the network would instruct the announcers to NEVER speak of the merits of the older football league. And.....ultimately,yes...you will get more americans to "check it out" because it's on the nfl network, but I would be worried that the way it would be presented to the american public would lead the majority of them to think that the CFL was a "minor" league for the nfl.
Doom the league to not accept the XFL offer? I’m sorry, I’m not clear on your last sentence.
All,
The broadcast schedule for the US is being developed. The late delivery date is due to the complexity of the US television market. There is a lot out there and is no small matter to navigate and negotiate. Rest assured we are very committed to the US market and CFL fans across the border and around the world.
The schedule will be posted as soon as it is completed...
...stay tuned...we have more in store for fans!
CFLpm
Geo your offbase, on the minor league thing, but even if your not, if the exposure was posititve, but we Americans viewed it as minor league, would that be a bad thing, if it led to tv revenue for the league? As far as I know the league gets no money just exposure for allowing the various stations down here to broadcast the games, but I’m sure their hoping to be able to charge them for it someday, but that’ll only happen if its in demand. A lot of times on here folks talk about how we Americans view ourselves as better than Canadians, although I’m sure there is some negative sentiment on our part, in fact I’ve seen it on here, a lot of you have a serious inferiority complex, and as far as the league goes, you want it to succeed, but to me it seems like you want to achieve that buy every single Canadian tuning into each and every game, and no Americans watching or anyone else for that matter, last I checked the there where a lot of Americans in the league, in fact there is an import quota to limit the amount of non-Canadians on each team, maybe they should kick all Americans out of the league to make some of you miserable bastards happy, I wonder if they would still need the import quota if Americans weren’t allowed to play? How many non-Americans, are there in the league, not including Canadians, I’ll take a wild guess, you probably only need one hand to count them, if you need a hand at all. My long-winded point is, who cares why people are watching, as long as their watching, I wouldn’t concern myself with what people perceived about the game as long as their tuning in!
thank you!!!
I hope that the league whet after the OLN network and the BS network to show games online.
I, for one, wouldn’t.
if the exposure was posititve, but we Americans viewed it as minor league, would that be a bad thing, if it led to tv revenue for the league?To some it would be humiliating. It would suggest 'second rate' and that old inferiority complex will again raise its filthy head.
you want it to succeed, but to me it seems like you want to achieve that buy every single Canadian tuning into each and every game, and no Americans watching or anyone else for that matter,Its true to an extent. We want to see the League become popular with our own citizens first and then puff out our chests and say to Americans, "look at this game!! This is great!!" But, once again, by doing that we STILL look for approval from down south.
I wonder if they would still need the import quota if Americans weren't allowed to play?No because we'd make up the league completely on Canadian players. Canadian players who weren't part of the NFL.
My long-winded point is, who cares why people are watching, as long as their watching, I wouldn't concern myself with what people perceived about the game as long as their tuning in!I'm an anime fan. One show I like is Inu Yasha. I followed Inu Yasha before the tv show was even made. But once the series made it to North American television it did indeed become popular. However, the type of fan who began to watch the series were preteen girls. They didn't really watch it for the storytelling, characterization or long involved plots, but for the 'cuteness' of some characters. This turned off the mature fans and they then didn't give the show the time of day.
To spin it towards the CFL, yes, it does matter how the sport becomes popular or viewed. We want dignity and respect for the style of football we play. I don’t want us to be viewed as some joke league thats fun to watch once in awhile.
What I would like to see in US coverage would be as follows. I'd like to approach NBC and work out a partnership whereby they agree to televise one game per week and use their own camera angles and pick their own broadcast team.
I would ask them for a long term commitment to help build the league in exchange for exclusive long term (20year) rights to the CFLs games. Ask them to NOT inhouse advertise football games for awhile. Let people stumble across the games on their own and sit there scratching their heads for a few minutes trying to figure out who the hell is playing. In that time, they would be giving the game a fair observation and be drawn in.
Ask NBC to provide good television revenue so that we could pay our players a bigger wage and make our league stronger
NBC now has the NFL, I would talk to either CBS or ABC, CBS is your best bet.
Nope they can not buy the CFL, the existance of an independent CFL helps protect them from anti combine legislation in the USA.
NIce idea but no US mainstream broadcast network is going to have much coverage of a league that has no team in any of its affiliates markets!
you have Toronto, and like before, I, for one fan, wouldn't accept the CFL being bought out by the NFL, then we would be a farm league!
leeing, I think that's anti monopoly laws.