ESPN networks to deliver full slate of 2022 CFL action

I think Jeff Hamilton or someone similar (media type) mentioned that he expected the CFL to sign a deal reportedly worth between 600 to 800k with ESPN until 2026.

If that’s the best the ESPN can do for the CFL. Time to partner up with a streaming platform

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I wouldn’t be surprised if the CFL got Genius to stream eventually

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Just want to make sure I can see the games here in the US. The rights bounced around a bit when I was younger, but have been on ESPN+ (maybe ESPN3 before that) for several years now. Just don’t want to go back to the old days of just a handful of summer games on ESPN, then nothing until the Grey Cup!

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Last year they made the announcement a couple of days before the season started. Hopefully they don’t do the same thing next year.

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I remember this too well.

I’ve posted my experience attempting to watch the CFL in the US on one of the messages in this forum.

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Has there been any news on a U.S. TV schedule yet?

not yet. Hopefully hear something before June

When is the 2023 broadcast schedule going to be posted? The CFL did not update their site until the season was well underway last year. As a US watcher, it is really important to know where the game coverage will be…if at all.

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They are also still working on the new contract and it might not only be with ESPN if at all, and there’s been some recent discussion in this thread:

Also we don’t know what the corporate structure of ESPN will be in 2024 even after recent changes by Disney, so for any old contracts at ESPN they also can be subject to future changes upon any given future reorganization of the firm as owned by Disney.

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I enjoy CFL criticism as much as anyone but I prefer it to be accurate. CFL released their American Broadcast Schedule a few days before the regular season started not when it was “well underway.”

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  1. Every other sport does not play I've got a secret concerning their broadcast schedule. Schedules are normally announced BEFORE any season starts.

  2. I personally wrote this forum a couple of weeks into regular season games last year complaining that the schedule was not up. Mysteriously, the schedule went up a few days later.

I would count my statement as accurate if you go through the preseaon and a couple games into the regular season without releasing the broadcast schedule, I would say that not only was the season well underway, but the CFL was incompetent in not posting it in a timely manner in the first place. If you want people to watch the CFL and grow the league, they need to get their act together and get the schedule out. After the fact broadcast schedules do not cut it anywhere on the planet for any sport.

If there is a reason why the schedule is not out before the first preseason game, the CFL needs to post that on their website and explain what is happening. Otherwise it looks like they do not know what they are doing or care.

Just because you didn’t see it, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. I remember that it came out June 3rd. 6 days before the regular season. Not saying that’s easy to find because you have to be on here every day to notice one of their many notifications.

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I just googled it and I could only find June 8, 2022. One day before the season started. If you put in “ESPN CFL Schedule 2022 June 8” into your search engine you should be able to find the story.

Well you can also always read up on the latest in the other thread and bring yourself up to speed also that way for 2023.

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I swear that I was on the broadcast page every day looking until it finally showed up.
I don't think I missed it, but I won't fall on my sword over it.
The CFL website in general leaves something to be desired.

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In 2022, ESPN was in the last year of a multi-year deal with the CFL. So, we knew ESPN was going to carry the league. We just did not have channels matched up to the games. Based on the timing from previous years, I predicted a formal announcement would happen on June 7, 2022.

League made announcement a day later on June 8, 2022.

Bottom of the page is the full schedule in pdf form.

If you were feeling impatient as the regular season was about to begin, you could have just gone to the ESPN Website as they had the listing of games for the upcoming month or two.

As far as 2023 goes, Dave Naylor has said he believes there is more than one network involved. Plus, the money will be meaningful. Definition of meaningful seems to be at least $5 million per season. In the last contract, ESPN was paying the CFL about $200,000 per season. Farhan Lalji thinks ESPN will remain as one of the partners. Naylor thinks the new US tv deal is (or just about) done.

Just my opinion here: but the longer the league puts off an announcement, the greater chance there will be disappointment from the fans. I would think the CFL would proudly tell the world if they had just signed a great deal. Should the league not say anything until a few days before the regular season, I am thinking not much has changed in terms of network & media rights value to the American market.

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Yeah that’s a possibility. I wasn’t looking there at all tbh. The news feed is the best way of getting info.

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Who asked you if you even had your own sword let alone to fall on it? That’s your business. Nobody cares. Anyway, you know where to go for news ahead of time. Or not. We’ve already shared the link here.

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I always heard Canadians were polite. You are quite the exception. There was no need for the tone of your response.