CFL 2020 Season - Page 14

jonny24 · #**261** Posted **Mar 26, 2020, 9:55 PM**

Ticats should do promo face masks with a roaring tiger mouth on them

I think if they did a shortened season, their regular fans will compact into the remaining games and sell out a ton. At least everywhere but Toronto and Vancouver.

thurmas · #**262** Posted **Mar 26, 2020, 10:49 PM**

If it is a short season that bodes well for Collaros, Harris and the Bombers to repeat as Grey Cup champs as it will be easier on their bodies and less risk of injury.

thurmas · #**263** Posted **Apr 1, 2020, 11:50 PM**

Many American CFL players may not come to Canada if it is only half a season and being paid in CDN funds with the dollar only worth 70 cents U.S. may not make sense for many U.S. players to play up here if there is a shortened season.

https://3downnation.com/2020/04/01/h...n-financially/

thurmas · #**264** Posted **Apr 4, 2020, 12:01 AM**

Now NFL is even considering a shortened 12 or 14 game season due to covid-19. I think CFL season might be dead now. Unless CFL can be creative and play in empty stadiums and maybe air games for a charge on pay per view or on bell on demand for a charge I don't see how this works. NHL and NBA should kill their seasons already it's pointless to think they can award a championship with the world the way it is for the next few months and if just 1 player is infected all teams have to be quarantined for 14 days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5j-uxToW8o

esquire · #**265** Posted **Apr 4, 2020, 1:12 AM**

The prospects are looking dim for a CFL season at this point. What can you even say about the NHL and NBA at this point... it's nearly delusional to think they can still carry on with playoffs now.

VANRIDERFAN · #**266** Posted **Apr 4, 2020, 3:16 PM**

I agree, there is just too much danger in gathering the team together let alone the fans. The CFL should just cancel now so that the owners and community based teams can hunker down and save on costs.

Question remains is how many players, staffs, support staffs and fans will return the next year? Will they all have moved on to something else? Especially the players of a certain age.

blueandgoldguy · #**267** Posted **Apr 4, 2020, 10:15 PM**

I thought a few weeks ago the CFL season was toast. For a gate-driven league playing in empty stadiums is not viable. PPV will not generate the revenue needed to cover expenses including players' salaries.

thurmas · #**268** Posted **Apr 7, 2020, 12:52 AM**

With the positive news of a large drop-off in covid deaths and cases over the past few days now I am a bit more optimistic some sort of CFL season can be salvaged as it would be a huge boost to people's morale and a stress reliever this summer to just watch football again and see the Bombers repeat as Grey Cup champs!

LakeLocker · #**269** Posted **Apr 7, 2020, 3:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

I thought a few weeks ago the CFL season was toast. For a gate-driven league playing in empty stadiums is not viable. PPV will not generate the revenue needed to cover expenses including players' salaries.

Unless some rich media giant wishes to have product during times of absurd boredom.

I'm honestly so bored I'd watch a cricket tournament.

I could see it as being an easy sell to American audiences.

If the NFL comes back great, if they can't well at least there is something.

The CFL is the ideal product because for a very low cost you can fabricate the image of a high value spectacle.

thurmas · #**270** Posted **Apr 10, 2020, 7:46 PM**

Well the XFL looks to have closed down permanently now. Vinnie Mac just pulled the plug on starting up again in 2021 so he spent half a billion dollars of his own money on this failed enterprise. WOW!

https://3downnation.com/2020/04/10/x...all-employees/

esquire · #**271** Posted **Apr 11, 2020, 2:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thurmas

Well the XFL looks to have closed down permanently now. Vinnie Mac just pulled the plug on starting up again in 2021 so he spent half a billion dollars of his own money on this failed enterprise. WOW!

https://3downnation.com/2020/04/10/x...all-employees/

I understand that the XFL is paying everyone what they're owed, so at least they're going out with honour. Stupendously bad timing on McMahon's part... this is no fault of his own here.

JHikka · #**272** Posted **Apr 13, 2020, 5:38 PM**

If any sports league got truly screwed over by COVID it was XFL.

thurmas · #**273** Posted **Apr 15, 2020, 9:44 PM**

Rod Pedersen show today in Regina was floating an interesting idea to salvage the CFL season. Because Covid-19 cases have dramatically fallen and were low to begin with in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have the CFL season hosted out of Regina and Winnipeg only this season. Have the players quarantine for 2 weeks before play and stay in Manitoba and Sask. maybe don't allow seniors to the games for they are at more risk health wise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6oP6aKCkQI

esquire · #**274** Posted **Apr 16, 2020, 11:53 AM**

^ It's starting to become apparent that if sport returns this year in North America, it won't be with fans in the stands. I guess the question for the CFL is whether taking that approach adds up financially, or if it makes more sense to suspend operations for a year knowing that doing so could come at a hefty cost as well.

I can't recall where I read it, but there was an article recently that said of the 3 community owned teams (Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Edmonton) that publicly disclose their books, broadcasting revenue makes up between something like 10-20% of their total revenue. I'm sure that figure is higher for most if not all the other teams, but even still... that represents a pretty big hit for a league that operates on a fairly thin margin to begin with.

thurmas · #**275** Posted **Apr 16, 2020, 1:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It's starting to become apparent that if sport returns this year in North America, it won't be with fans in the stands. I guess the question for the CFL is whether taking that approach adds up financially, or if it makes more sense to suspend operations for a year knowing that doing so could come at a hefty cost as well.

I can't recall where I read it, but there was an article recently that said of the 3 community owned teams (Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Edmonton) that publicly disclose their books, broadcasting revenue makes up between something like 10-20% of their total revenue. I'm sure that figure is higher for most if not all the other teams, but even still... that represents a pretty big hit for a league that operates on a fairly thin margin to begin with.

Most recent revenue numbers show Bombers generated $33 million in the 2018 season. tv revenue is $5.5 million per club this year so the rest the teams need to make off ticket revenue merch and concession stand revenue.

JHikka · #**276** Posted **Apr 16, 2020, 8:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I can't recall where I read it, but there was an article recently that said of the 3 community owned teams (Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Edmonton) that publicly disclose their books, broadcasting revenue makes up between something like 10-20% of their total revenue. I'm sure that figure is higher for most if not all the other teams, but even still... that represents a pretty big hit for a league that operates on a fairly thin margin to begin with.

Indeed. For the teams that disclose their finances, who are also likely the strongest teams financially, they usually rely on the following percentage of team revenue from the CFL distribution (TV broadcasting finances)

2018:
Edmonton: 17%
Winnipeg: 13%
Saskatchewan: 11%

If I had to guess I would say that TV distributions account for between 20%-25% of total revenues for other teams in the league.

Below is the percentage that gate receipts revenues represent for each of the teams:

2018:
Saskatchewan: 42%
Winnipeg: 41%*
Edmonton: 38%

* "Game revenue"

It's pretty safe to say that if CFL teams played with no fans in the stands that they would be losing a substantial amount of money. What we don't really know is whether or not playing no games at all would be a larger money loser, or whether convening the entire league at select locations and playing that out would be an equivalent losing scenario.

Either way, I agree with esquire's belief that it's looking less and less likely that we'll be seeing any sports with fans in the stands in 2020. At this point i'd be worried about any sports league that isn't a major league moving forward.

esquire · #**277** Posted **Apr 16, 2020, 8:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I understand that the XFL is paying everyone what they're owed, so at least they're going out with honour. Stupendously bad timing on McMahon's part... this is no fault of his own here.

I may have jumped the gun on my comment... I've been seeing reports on Twitter that the XFL has left numerous creditors in the lurch for big bucks.

thurmas · #**278** Posted **Apr 16, 2020, 9:36 PM**

Maybe the league can have the season out of Regina and Winnipeg with 2 or 3 games a week but as a short World Junior type of tournament for the Grey Cup. Also have the games tied into a sort of covid-19 charity telethon drive on Bell/TSN networks to get more support for covid vaccine research in Canada or helping out foodbanks due to the economic crash and eyeballs to the CFL.

logan5 · #**279** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:48 AM**

CFL looking for bail out money.

Quote:

The Canadian Football League is asking the federal government for up to $150 million in financial assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that the league's proposal involves three phases: $30 million now to manage the impact the novel coronavirus outbreak has had on league business; additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season; and up to another $120 million in the event of a lost 2020 campaign.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/c...ment-1.5548638

thurmas · #**280** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 1:44 PM**

CFL does far more for Canadian culture and in bringing Canadians together every year than what the English language CBC does. Also the Grey Cup alone brings in $100 million a year in economic activity to a host city. With the government distancing bans it kills the way the CFL could operate their business through no fault of their own.