Why don't they televise CFL exhibition games?

I know only a couple of years ago half the regular season CFL games weren't even televised, but that was due to a "lack of knowldege" of the broadcasters, not a lack of interest in the CFL.

The CBC started getting record TV ratings for their Sat. night CFL games in the summer, only a year or two after they had completely shunned the CFL until Sept.

I'm sure the exhibition games would draw at least 250,000 viewers, which is perhaps only half the regular season audience, but comparable to the ratings of NFL Sunday, which CTV has paid big money for. So it should be worth a networks while to televise the preseason.

Wouldn't most fans enjoy watching the road exhibition games next week? Will they be available on broadband??

TSN did televise the Halifax Xibition game a few years back.
I agree all of the Xibition games should be on.

Yah and they should be half price to stream too.

Good point, argotom, that Atlantic Bowl game drew a huge TV audience, larger than a normal regular season game. Seems like a no-brainer to have RSN, Score or Cable 4 televise the games if TSN doesn't want them.

They must have something better to show, like reruns of boxing matches. :wink:

You know, for a big Corp. who is supposed to have their finger on the pulse of the viewing audience, it sure seems to take them awhile to get with the program.

I've thinking about this too. It could mean a little more money for the league. They should definetly give it thought.

Personally I think the league should go in the same direction as the NHL on this one and have the games broadcast for free on this site. I watched most of the Oilers preseason games that way and they may not have been the highest quality but I has happy to have the Oil back. That was of course before the reality of the regular season set in.

i dont want people tuning into the CFL for the first time, seeing an X game and thinkin its bushleague.

X games are not a good representation of the reg.season product.

im with the post above...x games free online.

Ive always wanted the games to go on TV, this year i want to watch football so much i went on ebay and bought a couple tickets to the Alouettes game. But as i said before i think pre-season games should be in non CFL cities, like London, Quebec, Brandon...etc

I know this of no value to most of you
but Hamilton's cable T.V., Channel 14,

is televising our exhibition game
on Thursday June 12 vs Winnipeg.

HG I have been saying that for years.
There should be 3 X games per team, each having a home and away.
With the third being a neutral site game, one in the East and one in the West.
For potential expansion teams and or developing the brand in smaller communities. It's these neutral site games just like in Halifax which creates a buzz and extraordinary interest and should be on TV.
Commish Cohon always talkes about building the brand, here it is then the perfect opportunity.
Advice being free of charge.

Yeah and we here in Winnipeg have been trying to get a feed of that sent over to us like they did last year, but as CJOB (a radio station) has the broadcast rights to the pre-season game they aren’t allowing it to happen. So only radio for us in WPG when we COULD be watching it on tv.

I got news for you.. they don't televise pre-season games because they want fans to come to the stadium and pay to see the team!

that's WHY! there is no other reason, and I agree with it.

hey great awesome, sell that out, but what about the visiting team fans?

They could still have the standard blackout policy for televised exhibition games, if the game isn't soldout then it isn't televised within 75km of the stadium, or whatever.

I like your idea of 3 preseason games, Argotom, with the 3rd game at a neutral site (Saskatoon, Quebec, London, Victoria, Halifax, Moncton, Kelowna, Windsor [ok, maybe not].)

I think the teams need 3 preseason games, as the first couple regular season games have been a bit mistake-laden of late (but still exciting of course.

Another idea is to make the extra neutral-site preseason game a "Rookie Game" featuring only rookies and 1st & 2nd yr players after the 1st quarter, for instance.

There should be more neutral site games.
The one a few years back here in London was a huge success, but alas, we've had nothing since then.

And an exhibition game in places like London and Quebec City may actually kickstart expansion talk in these areas.

Because I'll tall ya. Here in London, even though we've been mentioned as a possible future expansion site, there hasn't been a peep from the mayor or the local media to even acknowledge this idea.

I think the three exhibition game idea is a great one. The more CFL the better and this would be a good way to grow the game. I hope the braintrusts read these forums and pick up on some of these good ideas.

I can see the headlines now:

CFL.CA Poster Sees London As Expansion Site”

No one with the league ever mentions London. It’s always Ottawa, then Quebec City/Halifax occasionally.

It would probably help if there were talk on a new stadium for London. Look how much talk there was about Moncton. Their stadium isn't even big enough for the CFL but there was talk of expansion.

Moncton was getting attention not just due to the talk of a stadium, but rather because the proposed stadium there will have the proper size field for the CFL and the room to properly increase its capacity in the future if an owner steps in. Also, we had articles that mentioned the mayor of Moncton talking with Cohon during Grey Cup last year, and being enthusiastic about wanting Pro-Football in the city.

London would need to get grassroots efforts going, and their city council would likely need to get on board, and cast about for potential local owners and financial help from Ottawa, which used to be forthcoming to Ontario in general when the Liberals ran the federal show at least.