Expansion from the fans point of view

The CFL hard core always base the “No Chance” at changing the CFL season on the premise that the CFL will always have the same low tier income stream from their broadcast partners. No one ever adjusts the financial component of equation. Never is a big word - No one has ever thrown a “big kid” bag of cash at the CFL. The CFL gets $37 million usd per year for the TSN TV Deal. If someone came to the CFL and said that each CFL team will get 2x that amount that it currently receives it would be all over.

The CFL hardcore also refuse to admit we are in a changing landscape in regard to sports gambling and online wagering. North America is awash in gambling and sports betting addicts. Completely different landscape from 10 years ago. Addicts need something to feed their addiction - in North America most of the sports wagering is on gridiron football. The NFL and NCAA can’t run nearly year round like the EPL and other soccer leagues. So the gambling and sports wagering industry is going to need a product to fill that gap in the North American sports wagering market.

It is like the idea of never selling my house. If someone doubles or triples the amount they are willing to pay me the odds of me staying in the house increase exponentially. If someone gives the CFL/XFL a big enough offer with enough zeros to move the seasons and merge it is a done deal.

2 Likes

I don’t think it would take very much money at all. It might be an October Grey Cup for a while but the pressure from the broadcast networks to change once that’s done will be huge. All of a sudden people will say things like, we can’t stay in October because of baseball. They’ll wait until the Blue Jays make a playoff run and proclaim it as proof. It might take a while but it’ll happen eventually. The XFL merger with the CFL didn’t happen because of money, not because of schedule.

NHL is planning on more expansion in the near future. The more American teams that are playing the less chance of a Canadian team even making the playoffs. On the off chance that one flukes their way there, the CFL team could have a watch party in the stadium before or after the football game. The NHL playoffs could actually help promote the CFL in April. The other thing to think about is the cost of playoff games and the fact that they are way more expensive than CFL games. If you have kids you aren’t bringing them to an NHL game but you could probably afford the CFL game.

2 Likes

frankly, i think the league needs to focus on ensuring the health and success of it’s existing franchises before talking immediate expansion, especially given the state and age of at least a couple of the existing stadiums. if successful franchises are keeping unsuccessful franchises afloat via equalization, or if teams are having attendance issues, why is anyone talking at all about atlantic expansion? the obvious lack of viable stadium aside, any endorsement or promotion of atlantic expansion feels more like a red herring strategy IMO, meant to do exactly what it is doing.

2 Likes

I agree with a lot of what you’re saying here. However, I do hear people say that expansion will fix a few problems. For whatever reason people who aren’t familiar with the CFL look at the number of teams and think it’s weird that the number is uneven. Logically when the league expanded to Ottawa, they should have either gone to Detroit, Rochester or in 2017 - St Louis.

Having said all that expansion is extremely risky for the CFL. There’s absolutely no guarantee that Halifax, Quebec or anywhere else would work, especially when the world (including parts of Canada) prefers 4 downs. I don’t mind the current strategy now. Get Toronto a home game that isn’t in there market, then hopefully make that 2 games per year. Eventually they might do more than that and hopefully it’ll translate into more people showing up at Toronto home games because of less supply.

3 Likes

i would care a lot less about the whole 9 team thing if the league would go to one division.

4 Likes

Let’s see things like this actually happen first.

image

I think we have always generally agreed on expansion. I do, however, think that it is important. The image and positive message it would send is extremely beneficial for the league.

Having said that I am not talking about blind expansion or desperation expansion. Perform the due diligence necessary in various northern US cities and add one team and then 2 more over 5-7 years. That is only if they meet strict criteria. Forget about Canadian expansion unless and until a stadium is part of the conversation, and I don’t mean a pop tart stadium.

It won’t hurt to investigate and if no suitable candidates are found so be it. If one or more candidates join the league that would be of huge benefit and certainly wouldn’t also hurt if there ultimately is a merger. I am looking at expansion more however as a shield to protect against a merger and to keep the game mostly as it is, the only exception being the integrity sapping and salary cap screwing ratio which needs to go regardless.

3 Likes

Yeah agree with due diligence expansion. Unfortunately after night shifts I forget to elaborate on my own thoughts. I will add that one of my frustrations is that the CFL should be doing more. If they want to have a team in Atlantic Canada then going there once a year isn’t good enough. They should pay someone (perhaps a former player etc) to have a year round presence in Halifax. Community work, football camps on behalf of the CFL. If they are already doing this then they should write a story about it because I haven’t heard anything.

5 Likes

You make too much sense. If the current league is strong and large crowds every game then there would be a demand to expand. But why expand when the largest market in the country can’t attract more than 12k for a regular season game?
I never thought we would see the plunge in attendance in the west either.
In 2009 the average Stamps attendance was 35,000
2009 Edmonton’s attendance was 37,000 average
2009 BC attendance 29,000 average
2009 Argos attendance in a 3 win season 27,000

Argos attendance was 11,500 last year
Elks was 23,000 last season
Lions 19,000
Stamps 20,000
Als 17,000
Bombers, Sask have not seen a drop in attendance. The Ticats and Redblacks are holding steady
No expansion until they figure out how to stop the slide in attendance. Even the TV ratings back in 2010 were 800k a game but around 450- 500k range now.
I can see the TV ratings slipping anyway with cord cutters and games streamed, they can’t get accurate ratings

There are no interested owners/investors in either Halifax, QC or any US city right now. How do they expect interest in a league when they see attendance and TV ratings dropping.

1 Like

We are never going to see those large crowds again. The 20k fans per game might be the new norm. As I see it the CFL is going to have trouble staying solvent with a dwindling fan base and staying in a geographical area with 38 million people. We talk about attracting fans in the USA, there are not a lot of paths forward where that happens without a merger or a dedicated USA expansion.

3 Likes

Teams that are successful right now with attendance have made the game an event. Doman gets the fans out with his street parties and concerts. Winnipeg and Saskatchewan are the hardcore, Hamilton is leaning that way as well and all three of those cities have developed a social atmosphere to their games. Ottawa is something similar and thankfully the Gliebermanns aren’t having a Mardi Gras atmosphere in the upper deck :rofl: although according to them it was very successful. The other cities are definitely in trouble as you alluded to in your statement.

3 Likes

So you’re saying the CFL is a minor league?

How would you know one way or the other? You have been very adamant that you don’t watch the NFL. So how can you assess something you never see?

So you’re willing to sacrifice the CFL rather than see it change with the times? That seems rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Field position = your punter kicks further than the other guys’ punter. Get into rouge territory, because the offenses can’t seem to keep the ball or score.

1 Like

If the CFL put a more entertaining product on the field, perhaps more young people might watch it.

3 Likes

And in my post I sated that Winnipeg, Sask, Hamilton and Ottawa are all doing well because they attract a diverse crowd of young and old. They put in party areas behind the end zones, they have the walkways overlooking the field where younger people stand around drink and have fun.

Edmonton and Calgary probably have the best chances of drawing crowds again. The 3 big cities may be a lost cause.
Last year BC had 34,000 to their home opener because the attraction was OneRepulic, not a Cdn QB.
Their second home game attendance was 14,000.
Despite a 12 - 6 record and a Cdn all-star QB, the attendance was not good, the 34k for the home opener made the average attendance look not bad.
Obviously it takes more than great Canadians on your team to attract a crowd.
Unless the new owner can have a major concert every game, I don’t see them attracting any more this season.

1 Like

Loved their Black and Tan when I was working in Philadelphia

Yet.
But the trending overall is troubling.

Not at all, if you’re trying to tie in my comparisons OHL & WHL as minor hockey, my point is quite the opposite.

They are minor because the NHL is in Canada making all other Canadian leagues minor, if the NHL wasn’t in Canada then the Canadian hockey league’s (teams) would’ve become one league with 2 divisions within Canada and by definition would be Canada’s major league hockey, yet still many Canadian payers would chase the almighty American / NHL dollar sucking the energy from the Canadian hockey leagues and programs, just like the NFL does to the CFL currently.

Now, if the NFL were in Canada, say Toronto & BC, then the CFL would be a minor league in Canada compared to the NFL. In other words if Canada remains NFL Free the CFL remains major league within Canada…I hope you follow what I said…I don’t…lol

How would you know one way or the other? You have been very adamant that you don’t watch the NFL. So how can you assess something you never see?

Ugg… Stop adding to the same post, I’m trying to respond only to see you added another comment.

I don’t watch the NFL currently, for about a decade or so, and never liked it at when I did, it was just background noise to me. Plus many people I know do watch NFL, so when I’m visiting them it’s on TV…hard avoid seeing it.

So you’re willing to sacrifice the CFL rather than see it change with the times? That seems rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

To a degree, I will continue to watch the Bomber’s games only, but nothing else…just like I do with the NHL, I only watch the Winnipeg Jets games, as soon as they are out, I’m out…call me fickle, but that’s just me. I only watch USFL’s New Jersey Generals… nothing else.

I find it quite entertaining, and always have.

1 Like

But most young people don’t

2 Likes