In 2013, the current TV deal will expire and I would like your opinion on how the CFL should present a new TV package deal from 2014 onward. Questions I have in mind for you:
-Should CFL go for the two networks to carry the coverage with the fixed starting time per week throughout the year and each network can show 2 games per week with the rights to the Grey Cup once every two years for the network? The playoff packages with one network focusing on the East and another focus in the west or should they offer one playoff game with other network carrying three playoff games with rotating Grey Cup as a part of the deal?
-Should the CFL goes away with the blackout rule or keep the rule? Why and why not?
-Should the CFL retain the one-network package and have the network carry all games? Why and why not?
-Will the CFL consider adding the 20th week with two byes to prevent the odd-scheduled 3 games in 15 days in the summer? With the extra week off, the schedule per week will always be 4 games per week on a weekend. This will result in December Grey Cup on the first Sunday of December or two weeks early on the start of the regular season, result a few loss on the gate revenue.
-If we keep the 19th week regular season, and the teams are playing a doubleheader games during a certain week during the season, what kind of fixed schedule it should look like to make things fair for all teams to go through this?
-Pro and con of having one network like TSN to carry all games
20 games is way too much, I still think 16 game schedule makes sense, but owners will complain they need the extra game, so 18 will stand. (Grey Cup in December will destroy the chance to host the game anywhere in Canada. The game would exclusively be in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto, I'd hate that)
Id rather in a perfect world have TSN and CTV carry games, but im sure somehow CBC will get a game back and crappy telecasts will start again on that network. I like the one channel package but I understand to brand the league they need more networks to show the game. (just hope its not CBC)
blackouts do need to exist just don't think you need a sell out to lift one
did any games anywhere get balcked out this year? i never heard of any. i also have HD though.
Definately needs to be on network television. At least one game a week. get more exposure. Although... i honestly dont know a single person withouth TSN. since we can no longer use rabbit ears in Canada, at least not without a converter box, everyone i knows has satelight or cable. i spose some sat companies make you pay extra for TSN. seems like the CFL has become the TSN football league in a way... hard to get comverage not on TSN for highlights and such.
I never said 20 games but 20 weeks with 2 weeks of bye for total of 18 games if 9-team league coming in 2014 with Ottawa as an expansion team. It does not matter how many games but as long as it does not go over 18 games.
I would lift the blackout if there is 95 % of the tickets is sold rather than sell-out because some stadium is too big to sell out, for example, BC or Edmonton has way bigger stadium. I am not sure about the blackout rule for the TV to be lifted as it is impossible to sellout a game during the regular season. It is more easier for smaller stadium to sell out than is it for the big stadium, ie: Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto.
I dont mind CBC getting a coverage as long as they provide a great presentation on the CFL. I would like to see many network to bid for the rights to drive the price up and provide the league with much-needed funds to help teams making some money and invest for a new stadium as some stadium needs to be built as a new one rather than renovations. If a CFL team is able to build a new stadium just like the Winnipeg new stadium, the CFL will be golden and sell out a lot more and become popular than ever.
I would be in support of a 20 week / 18 game schedule when we go back to 9 teams. One team sitting out each week and four games per week.
Just start a week earlier if December Grey Cups are too cold to hold in outdoor venues.
It would make scheduling way easier and notwithstanding Thanksgiving, Labour Day and the Argos in Rogers Centre, would keep the games Thursday through Sunday in general.
I don’t believe a sell out is necessary to avoid a blackout (if it was, then most games would be blacked out). I am also fairly certain that whether to black out a game or not is at the discretion of the team, not the league.
Will they? I have no idea, but I think this is a good idea. To keep the Grey Cup on the final Sunday in November, I would start the season a week earlier (I don’t know why adding one week would necessitate moving the start of the season up two weeks, like you said). In any event, I think adding a bye week, as much as I hate bye weeks, would be a good idea to avoid the three games in 15 days scenario.
they do, but not EVERYONE has tsn. Canada’s biggest sports event should be on network TV. Just like imo Hockey Night in Canada should always be on CBC or network tv and same as the Stanley Cup. Also, if the Superbowl is on CTV and some regular season games, why isn’t the Grey Cup on there?
they do, but not EVERYONE has tsn. Canada's biggest sports event should be on network TV. Just like imo Hockey Night in Canada should always be on CBC or network tv and same as the Stanley Cup. Also, if the Superbowl is on CTV and some regular season games, why isn't the Grey Cup on there?
Everyone has access to the Grey Cup.
If someone doesn't have TSN then I'm sure they wouldn't watch the Grey Cup even if it was on "network" TV.
Besides if you don't can't get TSN on your cable or Satelite because you didn't subscribe to it, then you can watch on the INTERNET or go to a sports bar or a friends or a neighbour.
I'm sure that everyone in Canada has access to the Grey Cup game.
Besides the CFL TV ratings were a lot lower on the CBC, the highest rated Grey Cups ever have been on TSN, there is absolutely no proof that ratings would be higher on CTV or CBC, that’s why CTV which owns TSN chooses to keep it on TSN.
-First I think that televising games exclusively on TSN/RDS has Maxed out on the number of the television numbers at an average of 800,000 fro regular season.
-Possibily televising Friday night football being produced by TSN but show on CTV as they are both under the Bell Co. Umbrella. Same with the conference finals as well as the Grey Cup
Continuing to show all Montreal games on RDS and continue televising non montreal games on RDS2 at the very least. Also with 35% of the population of the Ottawa-Gatinuea area being Francophone televising all of Ottawa’s games on RDS as well.
Look to expanding the CFL to France with televising all Montreal games in France. There is a Fan Base and a league of American/North American football in France and they are well aware of the Alouttes as I have seen the Alouettes logo on different websites connected with the French Semi pro football league. The sights were in French so It was hard to follow what was said but I could see that the ALS are known. Focusing on another country besides the US. The IFAF championships in which Canada is a part of the French National team finished 2nd in the Euro qualifier there highest ever. The French Connection with Montreal, Quebec, and France could just work.
-I am not sure that there is enough room with only 4 games a week to bring on another network. If or should I say when the 10th franchise is in place then seeling a 5th game a week to another network would be a much better possibility but TSN and the CFL are something that the fans have now become very confortable with and I am not sure if another Network would get as High a ratings with the current 4 game set up
-Rogers has shown some interest in televising one game a week but on their recently purchased Network the Score and not the Main Sportsnet channel geting Rogers involve with the CFL would be a good thing but not under these conditions. Rogers does have deep pockets however and offering them one game a week even if it is on the score only when the CFL expands to 10 teams and there is a 5th game a week. In someway it could be possible that Rogers could help with getting a stade built in Halifax. With the Atlantic region wide open for pro sports a possible Rogers Centre Atlantic could be a possibility but who knows how that would go.
with the 9 team schedule I am not sure what to do with that but I believe last time they did go with a 20 week season with each team getting 2 byes. I am one that thinks that will not be an issue for long as I can see team 10 for the first time able to be a top priority for the CFL, Management, and the CFLPA. SO we may see these three entities getting more involved with getting a 10th team up and running.
-Off the topic a little bit maybe inviting the French SR Mens National team of American football to spend a month in Quebec and play exhibition games against QJFL teams under Canadian football rules. Possibily having them stay and train on either the Laval or Sherbrooke Campuses during the summer With the Laval, sherbrooke, or a group of French coaches involved with the Canadian IFAF national teams help to coach and introduce them to the CFL game in July camp and play QJFL Teams in exhibition games built into the schedule similar to Friendlies that are done i soccer. while given the chance to attend some Alouettes games while they are here Giving them an up close look of just how good the pro football game in the CFL is
And…blackouts? I could never understand that one. Seems to me if you want to grow your sport then hiding it from the very people your asking to support you make no sense to me whatsoever.
To put it another way - we have a great game - we want to you come out and support your local team - we need your support to survive. If you do not come to see the games live we will hide them from you. :lol:
How about showing us the game in an attempt to gain more fans.
Trust your marketing skills, because I believe more fans will buy more merchandise.
Trust your product - if it is exciting they will come.
Bottom line is get it out there as much as you possibly can. Please lose the idea that hiding the game from your local fan base is a good approach to take.
Believe it or not but most of my friends couldn’t care less about the CFL and that is largely due to the blackouts as far as I’m concerned. As a kid growing up in Sask in the sixties & seventies we were lucky to get 2 broadcasts a year of our beloved Riders, if the game didn’t sell out = blackout = too bad maybe next year? :roll:
Given the option I’d get one game a week on another network. The Score (now Rogers owned) has been thrown around as an option as Rogers needs more content for it, and a Thursday night game would fit their lineup. The other games would stay on TSN. Get the GC on CTV if possible, or TSN otherwise.
You want a second network to add exposure and interest from that company’s other media (Rogers is big in sports radio), but you don’t want to dilute the success TSN is having growing the TV audience.
-Should the CFL goes away with the blackout rule or keep the rule? Why and why not?
I hate blackouts. Course, I grew up in Southern Ontario and wasn't that far away from where they were happening in Toronto. It's a blunt instrument: use it too often and you just turn fans off as they go find something else to do instead. People need to be able to follow the games to develop interest.
Should the CFL retain the one-network package and have the network carry all games? Why and why not?
I talked about that above. A second network helps diffuse the current issue where promoting the CFL is the same as promoting TSN, which is bad for a company like Rogers who owns TSN's competitor. If the games are split up and Rogers has a piece, suddenly talking up the CFL is in their own interest as well.
-Will the CFL consider adding the 20th week with two byes to prevent the odd-scheduled 3 games in 15 days in the summer? With the extra week off, the schedule per week will always be 4 games per week on a weekend. This will result in December Grey Cup on the first Sunday of December or two weeks early on the start of the regular season, result a few loss on the gate revenue.
Maybe, but with a 9 team league coming up the schedule is going to be wonky no matter what you do. IMO the best fix for this is to leave the schedule as is, and start looking for potential owners in Quebec City. A 10th team solves the whole thing in a hurry.
And my point about blackouts is that you now see less fans because of blackouts. Blackouts have been implemented for years to no avail. It’s crazy to think you have to force fans to come to the games, all that does is lose fans that may eventually come to the games.
