I pay TSN/Bell $180 year for an add on pack 1,3,4&5 to watch the CFL

CFL Talk
#1

I have the skinny package and movie channels + this package so I can get TSN 1,3,4 and 5. = $180 year. They say 50 channels in this package but it is mostly radio. I subscribe so I can watch the CFL @ $15/month. I believe especially in T.O. that the CFL doesn’t get the respect it should. I noticed the other properties TSN has, some hit free over the air from time to time. Even Rogers B.J.'s were free but never the CFL. Why is that? Why, because they know they got us and we will pay.

Watching Ti-Cat’s win last night and having a brief look at Jays and the TFC match - well both of these major league sports were fairly boring compared to the football game. They have a long way to go to match entertainment value. They have to compete with a sport that is far more exciting in my view. Absolutely NO way are they superior sports or have superior athletes to be classified as Major unless it is U.S. television money that defines this title. Do we classify a league based on U.S. money only? If that is the criteria, well, then they are Major.

Back to $180/year. Paid directly to the CFL and 1.5 to 2.0 million of us doing this, places revenue at $270 million to $360 million + advertising revenue - production costs. Go look at what I pay $180/year for and there are only 4 channels that have value in this package. Somewhere lies the threshold between the current $44 million TV deal and $360 million for the CFL going it alone if need be. To replace the $44 million doesn’t take a lot of us. CFL better plan for this so they can do it if they need to. CFN (Canadian Football Network) Wikipedia has info - didn’t work before because they didn’t have pay TV at the time. It will work now if need be and is a viable option to the league.

#2

1.5 million is a lot of people. Seems like it might be a high number but I have no idea.

Android tv box and a VPN subscription is the way to go

If you are interested in an exciting sport try watching a European bike race.

#3

I have the “Better” package from Bell, no TMN or movies, and get all of the TSN and Sportsnet channels for slightly less than what you pay, fyi.
I think the VPN service is the best/cheapest route, but I haven’t looked in to it yet.

As for the other “Major” sports you mention and disparage…
I did not renew my season ticket for the Argonauts this year, after being a STH for the last 13 years. I have not attended a game this year either.
The CFL games have become long, drawn out affairs for me now, with all of the built in stoppages in play exacerbated by numerous lengthy TV breaks and challenges and reviews. I got fed up watching and/or listening to in-stadium “fillers” to kill the time during these breaks instead of watching the actual game.

BTW, I disagree with your assessment of soccer players as not being real athletes. Baseball players…yah, I can see that. ;D

#4

Interesting idea but i think you’ll be hard pressed to find 2M people willing to pay $180 per year to watch CFL on TV.

If CFL isnt on a major network, the league would go under. No doubt about it

#5

I’m not sure how things will change in Canada, but there is an analogous discussion in a thread about Disney+ for the US to roll out in November.

Apparently that subscription will include ESPN+ and thus access to most CFL games for those in the US.

At perhaps $14 per month after taxes, with access to much of the Disney content including Marvel plus Hulu, this looks like a no-brainer to me and many.

Perhaps similar packages would be rolled out there such that far more is included for about $15 per month including the CFL?

And indeed even then couldn’t many games be simulcast or shown exclusively on a major network including all playoff games and rivalry games?

Change is a coming well beyond sports on this front, well beyond Netflix and Amazon such as in the US, as those with the content are going more and more directly to the consumer to bypass more and more the common (and at least 90% CRAP!) TV offerings via channels on cable.

#6

If I’m reading this right or wrong, but effectively you pay $15 per month, on top of the internet access as you would have to pay for anyway, for cable such that you receive ALL CFL games?

What a deal and better than even I get here in the US for what I watch on cable at $96 per month all-in on a promotion most don’t get. With internet only it would be perhaps $60 per month, so I’m very interested in something for only $15 per month with enough to watch on it including the CFL such as Disney+ as noted below.

#7

Some sort of subscription service is fine so long as the product is complemented with some sort of free advertising and exposure like one game on broadcast television per week.

I don’t think going 100% streaming subscription viewership will help grow the game.

#8

My main beef with TSN is that games like the Ticat game on Saturday were not carried on TSN4 - Ontario’s TSN feed.

Now, I get all 5 TSN channels for the express purpose of watching the CFL, so personally I have no problem. But a lot of my friends do not, and are unable to watch these games. Some of these people don’t live in the Hamilton area, and others are seniors with mobility issues, so attending the game is also not an option. Not to mention the casual fans who have no interest in paying for extra channels or forking over a small fortune to attend a game in which they are only mildly interested, but which they would certainly watch if televised.

In the past, TSN4 has carried all (or at least, nearly all) CFL games. But these past couple of years, TSN has opted to carry other sports on their Ontario feed in place of CFL games on a regular basis. Basketball, baseball, soccer, and even tennis have won out over our beloved CFL. That’s their prerogative, I suppose; but then the media reports that CFL viewership is down in Ontario, as though this is due to waning fan interest. They then use those declining numbers to justify carrying other sports in place of a CFL game.

I don’t know, I may be the only person bothered by this, but probably not.

#9

Interesting Big Dave, didn’t know that.

#10

Is that the way to get TSN for your personal computer? Can you not then feed your computer feed to a big screen monitor, e.g. a television?

???

#11

Quite a few actually ; it was mentioned on the last few PBP threads where people are traveling and can’t watch the game because of the one TSN channel in the hotel or relatives house .

This no doubt it’s bringing the TSN - CFL numbers down .

Last Friday night game in Montreal excluded east On , Quebec and the Atlantic region and this was for a game between Montreal (home ) and Saskatchewan .

Montreal’s region of interest was where they put UFC on instead .

Incredible it’s like they are doing this with a purpose . ???

#12

Yes I’ve been doing that for free with pirate feeds since 2010. It’s simply a lot more convenient to be able to use a remote.

Disney+ lies in my future come January.

#13

Yes this has been discussed on other threads. These additional channels, TSN 3-5 were previously NHL regional channels that TSN had.
NHL on these channels still take priority over anything.
Example. Winnipeg Jets game takes priority over Sask game on Saskatchewan channels because we are in that region. Jets games get priority over Bombers games on TSN 3 as well.
I have missed Rider games in the past due to Nascar, Formula 1, UFC…etc yet the rest of the country and regional channels carry the game.
Last year I changed my TV package to get all the TSN channels so I don’t have to miss any games anymore.
I wish TSN would follow Rogers, and have some free channels that are only used when their main channels are full. TSN 3-5 used to be like these channels, but then TSN started using them for more than hockey.
I still think TSN should be in breach of contract if they signed for national coverage, and then don’t televise to every region.

#14

All quite convoluted to me and I don’t understand all the ins and outs of this, I subscribe to Rogers basic cable package with phone, Internet and basic cable channels, and seem to get all the CFL regular season games even without TSN2 and for a decent price. I live in Ontario.

So I really don’t have a foggiest from my perspective what is “good” “bad” or “otherwise”. :-\ Maybe someone can explain why I’m happy with the Rogers package I have with a decent price able to watch all the CFL games? Without this TSN 2.

#15

Cutting the cord myself. My android box gives me all I need. I will be getting an online TSN sub because I watch a lot of their hockey as well as CFL and I am willing to pay for on demand.

Cable and satellite are dying business models that the industry is only just catching on to

#16

dc, cable and satellite might be dying business models and I doubt anyone will disagree with that. That being said, they aren’t dead just yet and still do work for a certain percentage of people and this could be the case for quite sometime.

#17

TSN 2 doesn’t broadcast CFL games but at one time they would put the second game on there in emergencies if the first game ran late but I don’t think they do that anymore with 5 instead of just 2 channels .

I am speculating you have the TSN 4 regional channel .

If I remember I will go thru the channels and check if your region is getting the game .

I know when I was at Wasaga Beach I couldn’t get one of the games there which was on Rogers because they had only one TSN channel .

You maybe missing games and not realizing it .

I never noticed until I was away from home and realized TSN has changed the way they broadcast the CFL . I would guess maybe three or four years now probably around when they lost the NHL national deals and Rogers had total national rights .
TSN managed to win regional hockey deals and placed them on there regional setup.

#18

If you get unlimited internet at a fast speed it becomes cheaper to just watch thru the net . You no longer pay the cable or sat .

Android boxes everything is free including recent movies but they buffer a lot and are not always reliable .

The on demand means not suffering thru ads . Once you try it you can’t go back .

Crave , Netflix , Amazon etc etc … have a library plus a few originals . Crave gives you today TV shows when they come out .

I get Global , City TV and CBC for free real time with my Apple TV if I need a fix for old style TV .

I hardly ever watch an ad anymore ; everything I watch is on demand except for sports .

Sports that are televised especially football have high value . They are time exclusive .

That’s why a few here are saying the CFL are getting ripped off . The value of ads becomes extremely more lucrative .

#19

Well I’ll have to look into that but it’s so convenient right now and I have these cable boxes that just keep on working, it’s really idiot proof and that’s good for sorts like me. Often I tape shows and games and just fast-forward through commercials but yes, I’m sure I’m not getting the best value if I was more technological savvy and willing to change the setup in my house and all that.

#20

True comfort and ease always wins the day

I was the same .

Very old school .

It was getting an apple phone that changed me over and it was given to me so I completely understand .

Now I like the new tech and the new advantages .

I went full throttle and now can’t stand commercials when watching shows on tv.