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-   -   The Great Canadian Sports Attendance, Marketing and TV Ratings Thread (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228928)

Acajack May 23, 2018 1:45 AM

SSP Canada is mature enough that it only needs light moderation.

This might need revisiting though if we have another Quebec referendum, or Toronto gets an NFL team!

elly63 May 23, 2018 1:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8196456)
or Toronto gets an NFL team!

Them's fightin' woids :) Actually if that ever happened I have a lot of thoughts on that (that most would likely disagree with) but it would be one helluva change for T.O. With the fragmentation of the TV market, the NFL isn't the juggernaut they once were, but they're still the most powerful league in the world.

khabibulin May 23, 2018 2:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8196456)
SSP Canada is mature enough that it only needs light moderation.

This might need revisiting though if we have another Quebec referendum, or Toronto gets an NFL team!

:haha::haha::haha::haha::pillowfight:

khabibulin May 23, 2018 2:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjones2451 (Post 8196298)
I don't disagree, but you said you doubt that Manziel will. He's 2 years out of football, married, getting treatment for bi-polar and for all intents and purposes on his last chance. Maybe I am an optimist, and I am by no means a Manziel fan, but I hope he bounces back.

My comment was a generic one about hard core party boys (like Manziel). It is a tough habit to give up. I wonder what his LA model wife will think about living in the Hammer? Honestly though. I hope he has made the necessary changes in his life and does not fall back on old habits.

elly63 May 23, 2018 3:00 AM

However this will play out, good or bad, Manziel has been bringing positive press to the league so far.

JHikka May 23, 2018 1:22 PM

Empty seats cloud Memorial Cup opening weekend
By Cami Kepke Global News

The battle for junior hockey’s greatest prize should have all eyes glued to the ice, but early on at the 100th Memorial Cup, empty seats at the Brandt Centre in Regina are getting most of the attention.

“It’s kind of disappointing when you’ve got your home team hosting the Memorial Cup and you come in and don’t see hardly any fans,” Regina Pats fan Marv Magnuson lamented. “I hope it’s a wake-up call for the league.”

The opening match between the host Pats and Ontario Hockey League champion Hamilton Bulldogs pulled a crowd of 5,678 people — a far cry from the sellout crowd Regina normally sees in the playoffs.

People on social media were quick to point out the gaps in the crowd, while some fans lamented ticket prices that start at $75.

“We could have filled this arena. We could have filled every seat, standing room only. We could have filled it all with better prices,” Pats fan Perry Pachkowski added. “We paid it because we know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have your host team still in it fighting for the Memorial Cup.”

Halifax is hosting next year’s Memorial Cup and organizers have already confirmed they will be slashing ticket prices. In a pamphlet sent to Mooseheads season ticket holders earlier this week, the team said it would focus on junior hockey at junior hockey prices.

Packages for season-ticket holders will work out to around $40 a game, while the general public will pay a slightly higher price.

The Pats’ hosting committee says Halifax is in a completely different situation, and they expect attendance to increase after the long weekend.

“Every location has a different circumstance, has a different size of arena. It has a different fee that it’s paying to the CHL. I think some people think we get all the revenue from ticket sales and we don’t,” host committee chair Shaun Semple said. “Their arena has more than 11,000 seats, that’s twice as large as this one. Their fee, I think, is half of what we’re paying for a fee as well.”

Thursday’s outdoor opening ceremonies and Eagles concert drew 27,000 fans, despite heavy rain and wind.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4221482/e...-memorial-cup/

elly63 May 23, 2018 8:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka (Post 8196776)
Thursday’s outdoor opening ceremonies and Eagles concert drew 27,000 fans, despite heavy rain and wind.

Eagles? They still goin'? How can you have the Eagles without Glenn Frey? From the sound of it they should have booked Earth, Wind and Fire :)

Acajack May 23, 2018 8:47 PM

How has the Memorial Cup been doing attendance-wise in recent years? National media coverage seems lower than it used to be, aside from the networks that actually own the broadcast rights.

Anyone know?

elly63 May 23, 2018 8:50 PM

I don't know, but if it's been on Sportsnet, that oughta tell ya.

elly63 May 23, 2018 8:51 PM

np

JHikka May 23, 2018 9:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8197351)
How has the Memorial Cup been doing attendance-wise in recent years? National media coverage seems lower than it used to be, aside from the networks that actually own the broadcast rights.

Anyone know?

2017 - Windsor - 44,663 total (5,583 average / 6,484 capacity)
2016 - Red Deer - 58,750 total (7,344 average / 7,111 capacity)
2015 - Quebec - 79,930 total (8,881 average / 15,176 capacity)
2014 - London - 70,593 total (8,824 average / 9,046 capacity)
2013 - Saskatoon - 82,503 total (9,167 average / 15,100 capacity)

Capacity Utilization:
2017 - Windsor - 86.10%
2016 - Red Deer - 103.28%
2015 - Quebec - 58.52%
2014 - London - 97.55%
2013 - Saskatoon - 60.71%

In the last decade only two Memorial Cups have completely sold out - Brandon in 2010 and Red Deer in 2016. Mississauga came close in 2011 as did London in 2014.

Halifax will be hosting next year and will likely put up a good attendance number.

HomeInMyShoes May 23, 2018 9:58 PM

They are moaning about attendance here in the papers, but looking at the paid attendance it has been reasonable.

Currently averaging 5,927 per game with a capacity of 6,484 (91% of capacity). But I can say that it didn't look that good from an open seats standpoint on Monday night, but then it has been beautiful out and the weather has been ridiculously nice and it was the May long weekend. All of that is a recipe for keeping people out at the lake or camping or just outside. Ticket prices are high, but that's a function of how much the CHL fees to host the tournament. No one under 10,000 seats is going to be able to afford the tournament anymore which isn't really a great thing to me.

I haven't seen much coverage anywhere though. There's absolutely nothing on the first page of TSN about it. Although I never read TSN for anything anymore. Sportsnet has a few stories on page one, near the bottom.

The hockey was great though. If you're here and can afford a ticket, it was worth the price of admission for the quality of play. Hamilton looked ridiculously good and the game tonight is going to be huge with everyone still in the hunt to make the semis or cause a three-way log jam at the top.

JHikka May 23, 2018 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197440)
Currently averaging 5,927 per game with a capacity of 6,484 (91% of capacity). But I can say that it didn't look that good from an open seats standpoint on Monday night,

It looks worse on TV than the physical numbers they've been putting out for paid attendance, definitely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197440)
but then it has been beautiful out and the weather has been ridiculously nice and it was the May long weekend. All of that is a recipe for keeping people out at the lake or camping or just outside.

And the Jets were still playing which moved two games later into the evening. I know people on Atlantic Time were complaining about the game last night starting at 11 their time which is usually only a timeslot for pacific NHL games.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197440)
Ticket prices are high, but that's a function of how much the CHL fees to host the tournament. No one under 10,000 seats is going to be able to afford the tournament anymore which isn't really a great thing to me.

Ticket prices are high and it's something Halifax has already addressed for its hosting next year, although it has been mentioned that Halifax's arena seats nearly twice as many so the price per seat can be nearly half.

I don't really think the tournament is moving towards 10K+ requirement but it certainly seems like the CHL is very steadily moving the tournament to bigger and bigger markets. Red Deer is (I guess) a smaller market, but the last really small market to host the tournament was Shawinigan in 2012. We'll see where it goes on the next rotational cycle.

Looking at the 2016 CMA pops for the most recent hosts...

2008 - Kitchener - 523,894
2009 - Rimouski - 55,349
2010 - Brandon - 58,003
2011 - Mississauga - 5,928,040
2012 - Shawinigan - 54,141
2013 - Saskatoon - 295,095
2014 - London - 494,069
2015 - Quebec - 800,296
2016 - Red Deer - 100,418
2017 - Windsor - 329,144
2018 - Regina - 236,481
2019 - Halifax - 403,390

The hosts before 2008 seemed to be the same cycle of Regina-Halifax-Ottawa with a Guelph and Vancouver thrown in. Perhaps this is a result of the larger markets having better, more modern facilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197440)
I haven't seen much coverage anywhere though. There's absolutely nothing on the first page of TSN about it. Although I never read TSN for anything anymore. Sportsnet has a few stories on page one, near the bottom.

TSN doesn't have broadcast rights so of course they're going to ignore its existence. Sportsnet hasn't been as heavy as in recent years, it feels like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197440)
The hockey was great though. If you're here and can afford a ticket, it was worth the price of admission for the quality of play. Hamilton looked ridiculously good and the game tonight is going to be huge with everyone still in the hunt to make the semis or cause a three-way log jam at the top.

Junior hockey is easily the best hockey you can watch for the price you're paying. I can't recommend supporting junior hockey enough.

HomeInMyShoes May 24, 2018 12:14 AM

Haha. I wouldn't call the Brandt Centre modern. But I will say that it has aged inside very well. Still a good place to see a game. Apparently Halifax is securing a better cost from the CHL. Something around 2 million instead of the 3.6 million I seemed to have heard Regina was paying. I could be totally wrong on those facts though. But if that is the case ticket prices should be down inti the 45 to start instead of 75.

Acajack May 24, 2018 2:13 AM

Why is it a given that TSN would ignore the Memorial Cup if they are not showing the games? It doesn't work that way anywhere else.

GlassCity May 24, 2018 3:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8197737)
Why is it a given that TSN would ignore the Memorial Cup if they are not showing the games? It doesn't work that way anywhere else.

With low attention products, you cover them in order to create demand, rather than to serve (low) existing demand. If you're gonna show them anyway, might as well build hype for them. If you're not showing them and most people are apathetic to them, might as well talk about something else

In an ideal world that is. If you're not covering the Memorial Cup but are covering Nascar, then yeah that's weird.

esquire May 24, 2018 3:29 AM

Apparently average priced tickets for Memorial Cup games this year cost in the $90-$100 range. That to me would explain the empty seats. I mean, it's junior hockey. Clearly they're hitting the ceiling for what the market will bear.

The funny thing is that the Pats had to cancel their planned outdoor game because of low ticket sales which was not surprising given the ludicrous ticket prices they were asking. So you'd think the host committee would have taken note. I don't really pay much attention to junior hockey but I certainly raised my eyebrow when I saw the home team playing in front of a bunch of empty seats last week... it must be a PR hit to some extent to have that going on.

esquire May 24, 2018 3:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka (Post 8194162)
My main question for the CFL folks would be: What's the best outcome for the Manziel experiment in Hamilton?

How does the CFL look if he's able to step onto a team on Day 1 and completely dominate? If he doesn't do well and crashes out, does that say anything about the quality of the league? I'm assuming there needs to be some balance between the CFL being a good league and Manziel doing well in his own right. It wouldn't look good to fresh American eyes if he was able to step in and throw 4 TDs a game and make the league look weak by comparison, at least IMO. I'm guessing the CFL needs to balance providing a good environment for Manziel to do well in while also proving that it's a strong league comparatively to the NFL. Curious what the best case scenario is here from an exposure standpoint.

Late to the party here but I don't think there's a chance that Manziel will dominate, for two reasons. First, he is still very green at the pro level and for him to reach the level of a veteran like Jonathan Jennings will take thousands of hours of honing his craft. Second, this guy basically had the world handed to him on a silver platter a few years ago and he still couldn't really motivate himself to step up assume a leadership role on his team. As I've said before, if he couldn't be bothered to ball out for millions upon millions of dollars and the potential adoration of all of US sports fandom, I don't know why he's suddenly going to find it for a hundred grand and the enduring respect of the people of Hamilton.

But that said, the best case scenario for the CFL would be for Manziel to follow the Flutie model, to start off strong and to keep getting better, and to go back to the US five years down the line as the competitive force he was originally supposed to become, while singing the praises of the CFL and how it helped him raise his game.

I don't think that's going to happen, though. Flutie, like Warren Moon, was the consummate pro who had a point to prove. Manziel does not seem to be cut from the same cloth. To my mind his trajectory will be something along the lines of becoming a reasonably competent starter for a couple of years, realizing that the NFL door has closed, realizing he doesn't love the game enough to play for a CFL salary, and then go on to life on the ex-college star circuit. Even then I'm still half expecting him to walk out during training camp.

Acajack May 24, 2018 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassCity (Post 8197786)
With low attention products, you cover them in order to create demand, rather than to serve (low) existing demand. If you're gonna show them anyway, might as well build hype for them. If you're not showing them and most people are apathetic to them, might as well talk about something else

In an ideal world that is. If you're not covering the Memorial Cup but are covering Nascar, then yeah that's weird.

I hate to bring this up again but NCAA March Madness in Canada is (or at least was) a low attention product and yet gets lots of coverage now from both the broadcaster (which is TSN?) but also all of the non-broadcasting entities.

CHL BTW is probably the number one spectator sport in Canada by total annual attendance.

It's not intrinsically a low attention product, but there seems to be an effort to turn it into one.

How many Canadians actually go out (in the cold!) and spend money to attend an NCAA basketball game in a given year?

I betcha it's not even close to 7 million (the approximate CHL attendance).

JHikka May 24, 2018 3:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197618)
Apparently Halifax is securing a better cost from the CHL. Something around 2 million instead of the 3.6 million I seemed to have heard Regina was paying. I could be totally wrong on those facts though. But if that is the case ticket prices should be down inti the 45 to start instead of 75.

I think this is a case of Regina paying way too much for the 100th Anniversary of the Memorial Cup more than it is Halifax getting a better deal. They shifted the rotation of the Memorial Cup hosting league to account for it.

Halifax has already said that tickets will be half the cost they are in Regina this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes (Post 8197618)
Haha. I wouldn't call the Brandt Centre modern. But I will say that it has aged inside very well. Still a good place to see a game.

Trust me...there are some bad CHL rinks to see games in. They've been doing a good job of replacing a lot of the weaker buildings, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8198009)
I hate to bring this up again but NCAA March Madness in Canada is (or at least was) a low attention product and yet gets lots of coverage now from both the broadcaster (which is TSN?) but also all of the non-broadcasting entities.

It's one of the bigger sporting events of the year, IMO, due solely because of the brackets. Other sports leagues didn't do playoff bracket fantasy setups until March Madness was making ridiculous money off of theirs. It's peak America, watching a sport for the sake of your own bracket, but it works for a lot of people. Outside of the March Madness Tournament I assume most people don't care that much about NCAA basketball in Canada. :shrug:

Basically the same as most people not caring about horse racing outside of two minutes in May.

Acajack May 24, 2018 3:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka (Post 8198164)

It's one of the bigger sporting events of the year, IMO, due solely because of the brackets. Other sports leagues didn't do playoff bracket fantasy setups until March Madness was making ridiculous money off of theirs. It's peak America, watching a sport for the sake of your own bracket, but it works for a lot of people. Outside of the March Madness Tournament I assume most people don't care that much about NCAA basketball in Canada. :shrug:

Basically the same as most people not caring about horse racing outside of two minutes in May.

So is polo at Palermo in Buenos Aires but no one seems as eager to ram it down my throat as something I must absolutely pay attention to.

JHikka May 24, 2018 4:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8198208)
So is polo at Palermo in Buenos Aires but no one seems as eager to ram it down my throat as something I must absolutely pay attention to.

I was referring to sporting events in the US which are, by proxy, also essentially sporting events in Canada.

If there was money in broadcasting polo at Palermo for TSN you'd be sure they would shove it down your throat, just like how there was money in showing poker and how there is growing money in eSports. :shrug:

Acajack May 24, 2018 5:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka (Post 8198322)
I was referring to sporting events in the US which are, by proxy, also essentially sporting events in Canada.

I'll grant you the Stanley Cup, the MLS Cup, the World Series and even the NBA because there are Canadian teams in those competitions, but there isn't anything Canadian whatsoever about NCAA March Madness. Nor the Super Bowl when you really think about.

Acajack May 24, 2018 5:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka (Post 8198322)

If there was money in broadcasting polo at Palermo for TSN you'd be sure they would shove it down your throat, just like how there was money in showing poker and how there is growing money in eSports. :shrug:

Money is undoubtedly the key driver and is also related to the additional reasons I see as responsible for the phenomenon.

One of them is that the Canadian media (in this case the sports media) is the poster child for lazy, complacent corporate Canada. They'll pay XXXXX dollars to buy a feed of NCAA hockey from the U.S. rather than spend XXXX1 dollars to send a bare bones crew to film U Sport hockey just around the corner. You see the same thing at play in entertainment and variety TV and movies too of course.

Another factor is the obsession with not appearing as the lowly backward colonials, and a constant need for feeling like you're "with in" and in vogue. You can't go any higher in terms of sizzle that what comes out of the U.S., so image-conscious Canadians just lap it up.

And finally there is the fact that the people working in Canadian sports journalism and broadcasting (both hosts and management) are increasingly people who have grown up fascinated by NCAA March Madness, the NFL, Michael Jordan, Jim Rome, Chris Berman, etc. Since media is an ego-driven milieu, these people want you and everyone to like the same stuff that they like. (I know, I've been there.)

I admit to being extremely cynical on this topic. I happen to think that Canadians only really got interested in soccer when Americans started paying attention, and probably that if only they got into polo at Palermo, many of us would jump on board that bandwagon too.

(Most/many?) Canadians are incapable of deciding by themselves what they like or don't like, or should or shouldn't like.

Harsh, eh?

MolsonExport May 24, 2018 5:36 PM

I don't think I really understand rabid fans of professional sports. I really don't understand why people get so wrapped up into teams based in cities or countries with which they have absolutely no personal connection. I "get" rooting for the home team; I "get" supporting Canada in Olympics; I "get" supporting say, the Netherlands in Soccer because you have Dutch lineage, or maybe you spent some good times in Amsterdam, but going apeshit crazy rooting for some random team in some second-rate American city, like the University of Indianapolis Horse Fuckers Football team? Who gives a shit?

And what the fuck is the deal with tailgating parties? Sorry, sitting around in lawn chairs around some pickup truck with a bbq and coolers looks extremely trashy to me.

TSN has bit by bit, dampened enthusiasm for local/Canadian-based teams and sports leagues (excepting the Leafs, the Jays, and the Raptors), to the benefit of the American leagues.

wave46 May 24, 2018 6:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport (Post 8198397)
And what the fuck is the deal with tailgating parties? Sorry, sitting around in lawn chairs around some pickup truck with a bbq and coolers looks extremely trashy to me.

The deal with tailgating parties is to get stinkin' blind drunk.

Some cynics might say it's a necessity, given the dullness of the sport you're about to watch.

Acajack May 24, 2018 6:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport (Post 8198397)
I don't think I really understand rabid fans of professional sports. I really don't understand why people get so wrapped up into teams based in cities or countries with which they have absolutely no personal connection. I "get" rooting for the home team; I "get" supporting Canada in Olympics; I "get" supporting say, the Netherlands in Soccer because you have Dutch lineage, or maybe you spent some good times in Amsterdam, but going apeshit crazy rooting for some random team in some second-rate American city, like the University of Indianapolis Horse Fuckers Football team? Who gives a shit?
.

I am with you on this. The more I've thought about it, the more non-sensical it seems to be uber-passionate about any team other than one that your kids, your grandkids, your nephews or nieces, your siblings or friends, or the kids of your friends are on...

I mean, I am still a pro sports fan to some degree, but my allegiances are all either local or based on personal history (a foreign city I've lived in or spent lots of time in).

Even so, it's increasingly tough for me to justify the fandom.

megadude May 24, 2018 7:16 PM

I've been to several tailgates on several campuses. Both kinds. Where you tailgate with your friends in the lot you parked at and the "official" tailgate lot where the people show up in souped up RVs complete with TV screens and BBQs.

They are fun. I would say most are not trashy. The young people and students tend to be dressed in school gear, which gives a sense of uniformity. The older people you will often see wearing polos with team logo tucked into their khakis.

I've seen very few cases of people totally wasted out of their minds like at a Bills tailgate. Also went to two and yes, my friend got caught up in the moment and jumped into the back of the Bills branded pickup truck on display before security removed him. And ya, two white guys who were strangers to each other were calling each other "n*gger" in a tense exchange while passing by on the sidewalk. And yes, two of my friends wearing Jets gear to a Bills tailgate were shouted at with the very clever chant of "F-A-G-S, Fags, Fags, Fags" (variation of J-E-T-S chant).

But for the 20 or so other tailgates I've been to for college, NFL and racing, they were pretty damn civilized. And multiple times strangers invited us to join them in eating brats and drinking some brews. Couldn't be more welcoming and friendly.

Now I have passed through a tailgate for NASCAR once. That's a whole other thing.

megadude May 25, 2018 2:42 AM

Just remembered a story I should add regarding tailgating.

Was at Argos vs Ticats at Ivor Wynn. Tailgate was very civilized. If I remember it correctly, for you Hamilton guys, it took place here on this ball field:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.25037.../data=!3m1!1e3


My Argos season ticket holder friend was with me and right away noticed Argos and Lions owner David Braley was sitting on a folding chair with a few other people behind a van. My friend nodded and he nodded back. Rich people sit on lawn chairs just like us!

Later on, a few beers in, we were hanging by someone's possessions in the park. Some people were dropping off left over food and cake on his pile. Then the owner came along. He looked like a crackhead but happened to be sober at the time. He saw all the leftovers and said "What the hell. Do people think I come from Biafra?" What a phenomenal reference for a crackhead. Biafra is the region in Nigeria that suffered an infamous famine a long time ago.

After the game, my other friend, who was much younger and immature and much drunker, spotted a passed out Ticats fan on someone's lawn beside the sidewalk. He said yo, take a pic of me. He then proceeded to pretend to zip down his zipper and take a leak on him. Real classy.

elly63 May 25, 2018 7:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude (Post 8199068)
My Argos season ticket holder friend was with me and right away noticed Argos and Lions owner David Braley was sitting on a folding chair with a few other people behind a van. My friend nodded and he nodded back. Rich people sit on lawn chairs just like us!

Later on, a few beers in, we were hanging by someone's possessions in the park. Some people were dropping off left over food and cake on his pile. Then the owner came along. He looked like a crackhead but happened to be sober at the time. He saw all the leftovers and said "What the hell. Do people think I come from Biafra?" What a phenomenal reference for a crackhead. Biafra is the region in Nigeria that suffered an infamous famine a long time ago.

I've met a lot of interesting people in my life but I've never had a beer with a billionaire before, a few millionaires but no one with the Braley bucks...yet :)

That crackhead dude must have been fairly old. Sadly, Biafara jokes were the thing in the early/mid 70s.

jonny24 May 25, 2018 3:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport (Post 8198397)

And what the fuck is the deal with tailgating parties? Sorry, sitting around in lawn chairs around some pickup truck with a bbq and coolers looks extremely trashy to me.

I agree with the rest of your post except for this (and I'll add TSN has done good things for the CFL)

But man, what's not to like about tailgating? It's the one thing in this discussion that isn't about image and "sizzle over steak". Beer is good, BBQ is good, hanging out with other fans and friends is good, and then you get to go watch your team :cheers: IT something you do because it's fun, not for how it "looks".

Edit: Pickup trucks also rock.

elly63 May 27, 2018 8:36 PM

Press Releases ESPN+

All 2018 Canadian Football League Games to Air on ESPN Networks and ESPN+
Allie Stoneberg espnmediazone May 24, 2018

Live Coverage of 90 Games, Including Nearly 70 Exclusively on ESPN+

ESPN networks and ESPN+ – the recently-launched direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN – will combine to present all 2018 Canadian Football League (CFL) regular season and postseason games. ESPN2 and ESPNEWS will televise more than 20 games, including the Eastern and Western Finals and 106th Grey Cup, while nearly 70 games will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.

The ESPN+ CFL schedule begins with four preseason games, including the June 1 contest between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who recently signed former NFL quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, and the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts (7:30 p.m. ET).

ESPN2 kicks off the CFL regular season on June 14, and will televise all four week 1 games in prime time. Opening weekend matchups feature the Edmonton Eskimos vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (June 14, 8:30 p.m.); Argonauts vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (June 15, 9 p.m.) and a doubleheader on Saturday, June 16: Tiger-Cats vs. Calgary Stampeders (7 p.m.) and Montreal Alouettes vs. BC Lions (10 p.m.).

ESPN, which first televised CFL games in 1980, has exclusive rights in the U.S. to present all regular season and postseason CFL games, including the Grey Cup. ESPN International and its affiliated networks also distribute CFL games internationally to more than 47 million households and 74 countries.

https://i.imgur.com/toR1tlx.png

CFL Games Available via ESPN+: https://es.pn/2KR7Zvl
*Schedules subject to change

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

–30–

elly63 May 27, 2018 11:17 PM

Manziel still getting attention and CFL vibe still good this preseason. Unless this blows up big time the promotion of the league couldn't be better.

Video Link

elly63 May 28, 2018 2:18 PM

Not a bad song and I am not a country fan

Country duo ‘The Reklaws’ to perform at 2018 CFL Kickoff in Winnipeg
CFL.ca Staff May 28 2018

WINNIPEG — The Canadian Football League announced Monday that Canadian Country duo The Reklaws will perform at the CFL season kickoff game on opening night between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on June 14 at 8:30P.M. ET.

Not only is the duo performing in Winnipeg as part of the season kickoff festivities, it will become intertwined with Thursday Night Football presented by The Brick throughout the summer. The Reklaws cut a new Thursday Night Football themed version of their latest hit, “Long Live the Night” which will be the opening intro song for each Thursday Night Football game on CFL on TSN and is set to become CFL’s song of the summer.

Born and raised on their family farm in Cambridge, Ont., siblings Jenna and Stuart Walker first made waves in the Canadian country music scene by winning the biggest country music talent competition in Canada, the SiriusXM Emerging Artist Showcase at Boots and Hearts in 2013. They have since played all over Canada opening for the likes of Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, and High Valley.

Now signed to Universal Music Canada, the duo’s debut release, “Hometown Kids,” reached top 15 on the Canadian country radio charts garnering over 3 million streams in the process. Their recent EP debuted at #1 on the national iTunes country sales chart, and their second single, “Long Live The Night”, is blazing up the Canadian country radio charts currently sitting in the top 15 after only 10 weeks. With more than 2 million streams thus far, it is already the second most streamed Canadian country song released in 2018.

“It’s an absolute honour to perform in front of a packed house in Winnipeg at Investor Groups Field as well as the rest of Canada that will be tuning in to CFL season kickoff,” said Jenna Walker, vocalist from The Reklaws. “I hope CFL fans love the new intro song on Thursday Night Football as much as we loved getting the chance to create it. It’s going to be so cool to hear it throughout the summer months every Thursday night on TSN!”

elly63 Jun 1, 2018 7:46 PM

The Manziel Effect: Attention lavished on Johnny raises profile of Ticats, CFL
Steve Milton 3downnation June 1, 2018

...

This is a 25-year-old nicknamed “Johnny Football” whose Twitter account has a stunning 2.2 million followers and his Instagram another two million; who has a podcast contract with the controversial satirical culture/sports website Barstool Sports; who has his own website named ComebackSZN which sells “comeback season” merchandise; whose name is recognized by more casual sports fans than those of highly accomplished NFL and CFL players; who has made enough mistakes, many captured on social media, that he said last week that he knows he “can never outrun my past.”

He’s such a lightning rod that online gambling sites are offering odds on all aspects of his CFL career, ranging from number of games played to whether he’ll be arrested by next February. Emails sent to a Spectator columnist from Manziel’s home state of Texas predict a massive following of Ticat games there through giant U.S. broadcaster ESPN.

There is an assumption in some quarters that the Tiger-Cats have signed Manziel for the publicity and increased turnstile count. But while casual fans will certainly be more aware of the team, this is a franchise already on sound financial footing and the CFL reality is that winning is by far the biggest boost to ticket sales. So Manziel would not be here if the Ticats football operations staff did not think he could play in the CFL, as a starter or backup.

While a sizeable number of Manziel Ticat jerseys have already been seen around town, the team would not comment directly on Manziel’s effect on either ticket or merchandise sales.

But as of Thursday night, there were only about 200 tickets available on Ticketmaster for Friday. Season’s ticket holders take up about 16,000 of the 22,500 seats available for each game including pre-season, and vouchers were distributed to about 2,000 participants in the Ticats’ BeFit school program which could be redeemed for Friday night tickets.

elly63 Jun 3, 2018 6:08 PM

JONES: New Grey Cup era with elimination of money grab
Terry Jones Edmonton Sun June 2, 2018

Gone are the days of teams pocketing $6-to-$8 million while spending as little on the Grey Cup Festival as they can get away with.

“I think that’s the story,” said Ambrosie as ticket sales passed the 49,000 mark at 2 p.m. Saturday to leave only 6,819 available 24 hours they went on sale.

“What these guys have done is to have the vision that when you make the Grey Cup bigger, the future of the Grey Cup and the future of the league will be bigger.”

The dispersal of profits will be entirely different now.

“There will be a sharing of the proceeds,” said Ambrosie. “After the covering of costs there is a percentage that will go to the host, because they’re the ones doing the work, then there’s a percentage that will go to the other teams. Previously all of the proceeds went to the host team.

elly63 Jun 3, 2018 11:45 PM

The amount of publicity and promotion the league and Hamilton are getting is amazing. Hope Manziel can keep rebuilding himself and his career, off to a good start so far.

Bre Tiesi gets her own ‘Mrs Manziel’ Ticats jersey
3Down Staff June 3, 2018

Bre Tiesi – a.k.a. Mrs. Johnny Manziel – has got herself a personalized Ticats jersey.

Tiesi took to Instagram over the weekend to show off her new purchase as well as voice her support for her husband as he attempts to make a comeback in pro football. Tiesi was also in attendance at Friday night’s game in Hamilton in which her husband saw his first CFL action.

The 25-year-old Tiesi is a model and Instagram celebrity with more than 355,000 followers. She and Manzel were married last March in a private ceremony in California.


https://i.imgur.com/XhgGwei.png

Hybrid247 Jun 4, 2018 9:06 AM

Great to see the Manziel effect bringing a new wave of followers to the Ticats and the CFL. It'd be a great story if this move truly resurrects his football career.

On a side note, am I the only one bothered by the full capitalization of the Redblacks name while every other team's name is written normally? It just looks ridiculous. And this is coming from a Redblack's fan...

le calmar Jun 4, 2018 12:03 PM

The Redblacks name is officially stylized as REDBLACKS in all official communications, but I don't think it is necessary to capitalize it every time one mentions the name. I don't think anybody does that.

elly63 Jun 4, 2018 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by le calmar (Post 8209144)
The Redblacks name is officially stylized as REDBLACKS on all official communications, but I don't think it is necessary to capitalize it every time one mentions the name. I don't think anybody does that.

I think ownership wanted the public to use the ALL CAPS but it doesn't seem like anybody complies and ownership hasn't seemed to make a big deal about it.

Acajack Jun 4, 2018 2:01 PM

I don't believe the written media uses REDBLACKS, for example. At least, most of them don't AFAIK.

Hybrid247 Jun 4, 2018 8:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elly63 (Post 8201438)

I'm referring to this type of thing, where it's fully capitalized for all official media coverage. I guess it's sort of a pet peeve for me to see all other names written normally and then the all caps Redblacks name. Feels like an attempt to one-up every other team.

le calmar Jun 4, 2018 8:20 PM

I agree this is something I have never seen in any other sports leagues, with the exception of the Lewiston MAINEiacs in the QJMHL, which had their name officially spelled this way. But unlike the Redblacks they had a good reason to do so to emphasize the State they played in.

I am not sure a team would be allowed to capitalize all their letters in the other major sports league. It can look like a cheap attempt to one-up the other teams or a desperate attempt to get a tad more attention in media coverage.

esquire Jun 4, 2018 8:51 PM

^ I always found it annoying when people would deliberately write out their proper name in lower case a la ee cummings , always kind of looked like a bit of a plea for attention. But for whatever reason seeing the allcaps REDBLACKS doesn't push those buttons for me, I'm kind of indifferent to it.

elly63 Jun 4, 2018 11:36 PM

The Johnny Effect: TSN to broadcast Ticats second pre-season game
Drew Edwards 3downnation June 4, 2018

Call it another example of the Johnny Effect.

CFL broadcast rights holder TSN has elected to televise Saturday’s exhibition game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal, which kicks off at 12 p.m. ET. The game wasn’t initially on TSN’s slate of four exhibition contests but has been added to the list.

Ticats’ head coach June Jones announced on Monday that starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli won’t play against the Alouettes and while he didn’t specify, it seems likely that Manziel will get the start. Fellow backups Vernon Adams and Byrant Moniz are also expected to see time.

Manziel made his CFL debut last Friday in a 36-18 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, going 9-for-11 for 80 yards in approximately a quarter of play.

The level of interest in Manziel has been off the charts across North America. Reporters for ESPN and USA Today made the trip to Hamilton for Manziel’s debut and video of his first drive is now the eighth most watched item on TSN’s YouTube channel.

elly63 Jun 5, 2018 9:22 PM

CFL ANNOUNCES THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CONCERT SERIES FOR 2018 SEASON
EACH TEAM WILL HOST A TOP ARTIST DURING A HOME THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME

Tuesday, June 5, 2018 — TORONTO (June 5, 2018) – The Canadian Football League (CFL) in partnership with Universal Music Canada and Apple Music announced that a top artist will perform at each team’s first home Thursday night game in 2018 as part of Thursday Night Football.

“By launching a Thursday Night Football Concert Series this season we are bringing more value to our game days across the country,” said CFL Chief Marketing, Digital and Strategy Officer Christina Litz. “Adding these talented artists to the summer portion of the schedule on Thursday evenings brings a special atmosphere and energy to Thursday Night Football.”

The CFL season kickoff between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday, June 14 will premiere the first Thursday Night concert with Canadian Country duo ‘The Reklaws’. See below for the entire Thursday Night Football Concert Series lineup:

“Live music, like a touchdown, can bring a crowd to its feet. We can’t wait to build on that home game exhilaration with performances from an incredible line-up of artists this season,” said Kristen Burke, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Universal Music Canada.

Fans can find additonal information and purchase tickets for Thursday Night Football Concert Series games by visiting www.cfl.ca/tnf.

The CFL is thrilled to now be featured as a Curator on Apple Music. Fans can find a number of CFL playlists on Apple Music, which will be updated monthly. These playlists are created for fans, and feature the latest (or most requested) game day tracks to get you amped for the 2018 CFL season. The CFL Curator Station features team-specific playlists, a workout playlist “The Grind” created by Brodie Lawson, and a Thursday Night Football playlist, featuring all artists performing at the Thursday Night Football Concert Series. Visit AppleMusic.com/CFL for your listening pleasure.

In May, the CFL and TSN announced that ‘The Reklaws’ will headline the new Thursday Night Football opening intro song to CFL on TSN. ‘The Reklaws’ will also be the halftime performance act at the 2018 CFL Kickoff game in Winnipeg on June 14.

Thursday Night Football Concert Series Artists:

The Reklaws | June 14 | Winnipeg

Born and raised on their family farm in Cambridge, Ontario, siblings Jenna and Stuart Walker first made waves in the Canadian country music scene by winning the biggest country music talent competition in Canada, the SiriusXM Emerging Artist Showcase at Boots and Hearts in 2013. They have since played all over Canada opening for the likes of Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, and High Valley.

Now signed to Universal Music Canada, the duo's debut release, “Hometown Kids,” reached top 15 on the Canadian country radio charts, garnering over 3 million streams in the process. Their recent EP debuted at #1 on the national iTunes country sales chart, and their second single, “Long Live The Night”, is blazing up the Canadian country radio charts, currently sitting in the top 10. With more than 2 million streams thus far, it is already the second-most streamed Canadian country song released in 2018.

Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine | June 21 | Ottawa

Platinum-certified up-and-coming Canadian duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine (Ottawa, ON), will surprise you with their candour and depth of intention to their art. Comprised of instrumentalist/composer Elijah Woods and lyricist/vocalist Jamie Fine, EWxJF is a delicate marriage of exploratory musical styles and masterful emotional play. The best way to prepare for the new EWxJF is to prepare to eliminate expectations. The duo purposefully breaches the boundaries of pop music – touching on so many influences including pop, dancehall, hip-hop and jazz that consistently shake up their sound. What remains will continue to be a vision that deviates from the mainstream in a bid to “make people feel real” as they listen and expose their vulnerabilities - even those they didn’t know that they had.

EWxJF are the season one/week two winner of CTV’s THE LAUNCH and second chosen artist to release a new original song (“Ain’t Easy”), which has garnered over 12 million streams to date worldwide. Currently a Top 20 best-selling single of the year in Canada, “Ain’t Easy” debuted at #1 on the iTunes All Genres chart upon release and peaked at #1 on the Top 200 most Shazamed songs in Canada. The Top 5 hit at Pop and HOT AC Radio was certified Platinum in May and continues to dominate the airwaves across the country.

James Barker Band | June 28 | Calgary

The 2018 JUNO Award-winning James Barker Band (James Barker, Taylor Abram, Bobby Martin, and Connor Stephens) have taken the Canadian country music scene by storm, breaking new records one release at a time.

Their debut EP “Game On” has so far accumulated over 30 million streams, five top-10 hits at Canadian country radio, and three gold-certified singles. James Barker Band was the most played Canadian artist on Canadian country radio in 2017 and have held on to that esteemed spot so far in 2018 as well. Their current single “Good Together” is already the most-streamed Canadian country music single released in 2018. The band has had a whirlwind tour schedule in 2017 and 2018, sharing the stage with the likes of Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore, Darius Rucker, Brothers Osborne, Eric Church and more.

Most recently, the band have made history with a SOCAN Songwriter Prize nomination for their song “CHILLS”. This is the first time a country song has ever been nominated for this prestigious all-genre award.

Tim Hicks | July 5 | Saskatchewan

A determined road warrior known for his compelling live show, Niagara Falls native Tim Hicks has cemented his reputation as an elite chart-topping act since making his country label debut in 2013. Hicks’ catalogue of highly praised releases including “Throw Down”, “5:01”, “5:01+” and “Shake These Walls” have earned the three-time JUNO Award nominee and CCMA Rising Star Award winner two PLATINUM selling singles, six GOLD singles and one GOLD album with his long-time label Open Road Recordings, in addition to multiple sold-out headlining dates and tours across the country.

With multiple CCMA Award nominations, CMAO Award wins and a 2015 SOCAN Award, Hicks will release his fourth full-length album this summer, followed by a national headlining tour. The album’s first single “LOUD”, released on April 11th, was licensed by the NHL for the playoffs and was the #1 most added song at Canadian Radio (all genres) the week of release. The track currently boasts close to 800,000 streams to date and is off Hicks' forthcoming new album “New Tattoo” out June 22, 2018.

The Beaches | July 19 | Hamilton

The Beaches are a Toronto-based glam rock and garage band comprised of sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller (on lead vocals/bass and guitar, respectively), Eliza Enman-McDaniel on drums, and Leandra Earl on keys and guitar. The band were awarded Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2018 JUNOs and recently completed their first ever national headline tour in support of their debut album Late Show, released last fall via Universal Music Canada.

LOUD | July 26 | Montreal

Montreal rapper-songwriter Loud, whose real name is Simon Cliche Trudeau, has a well-established reputation as a rapper and entertainer. Part of the Quebec rap scene for over a decade, several experts of the Franco-Rican hip-hop scene consider him one of the most talented rappers of the American Francophonie. In November 2017, he launched "Une année record" on Joy Ride Records, a critically acclaimed and well-received debut album. He is currently on tour in Canada and Europe.

Kardinal Offishall | August 2 | Toronto

For the past two decades Kardinal Offishall has become a highly regarded rapper and record producer recognized for spearheading the Canadian hip-hop music scene. Since the late 2000’s he’s claimed the international music stage with features on hit records such as Akon’s “Beautiful”, Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and his own single “Dangerous”, which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first rapper in Canadian history to do so.

Kardinal has been nominated for 15 Juno Awards, and is a multiple ASCAP Award and SocanAward winner. Kardinal is one of the hardest working men in the business and never stops working to perfect his craft as an artist, performer, entertainer, and businessman. The Toronto bred star has criss-crossed the globe performing in some of the most prestigious stadiums, arenas, and festivals, giving his fans the ultimate high energy, mash-up performance.

Jazz Cartier | August 2 | Edmonton

Jazz Cartier is a Toronto based rapper. With two mixtapes under his belt, "Marauding in Paradise" and "Hotel Paranoia", Jazz Cartier has earned a flurry of major award nominations, most notably winning the 2017 JUNO for rap recording of the year. Meeting demand, Jazz Cartier is set to release his debut album “Fleurever” this summer.

Chad Brownlee | August 9 | BC

Former NHL draft pick turned country star, Chad Brownlee entered the limelight when he received his CCMA Rising Star Award in 2011 and has gone on to be a mainstay in the top 10 at Canadian country radio ever since. In 2012 Brownlee toured across Canada with Dierks Bentley and the following year, he co-headlined the “Your Town Throwdown” tour with fellow Canadian country artists Deric Ruttan and Jason Blaine.

Recently, Brownlee has received critical acclaim and numerous accolades including a highly coveted JUNO nomination for Country Album of the Year and a slew of nominations for the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA®) Awards™. These include Male Artist of the Year (2012, 2013, 2017), Fan’s Choice Award (2017), Album of the Year (2016) and many more. Brownlee has spent the past few years between his hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia and Nashville, Tennessee writing and recording new music set to be released later this year with his new team at Universal Music Canada. Stay tuned for more music from Chad Brownlee at www.chadbrownlee.com

The CFL regular season kicks off a week earlier this year, beginning Thursday, June 14th when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Edmonton Eskimos at Investors Group Field. Friday Night Football debuts June 15th when the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the reigning Grey Cup champions, the Toronto Argonauts. On Saturday, June 16th, the first double-header of the season starts with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats heading west to take on the Calgary Stampeders and the finale for Week 1 consists of the Montreal Alouettes playing against the BC Lions at BC Place. For single-game tickets, click here.
About Universal Music Canada:

Universal Music Canada is Canada’s leading music company, engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content. Home to the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMC is committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship in broadening opportunities for our artists on both the domestic and world stages as well as creating new experiences for fans.

Universal Music Canada is part of Universal Music Group, the world leader in music-based entertainment.

Lucas Barrett
Manager, Communications & Public Affairs

About the Canadian Football League

Today's CFL is more than just our great game of football. It's fans sharing their excitement for what they see on the field, and what they experience off it. Stay up to date on all the non-stop action at CFL.ca. And join all of Canada as we celebrate the 106th Grey Cup, presented by Shaw, this November in Edmonton.

Pavlov Jun 6, 2018 5:06 PM

^ Seems unreasonably dominated by country music.

Acajack Jun 6, 2018 5:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reesonov (Post 8211763)
^ Seems unreasonably dominated by country music.

I dunno. It seems like they've mostly slotted the right musical genres in the right places.

SaskScraper Jun 6, 2018 5:56 PM

^ Universal Music Canada & the CFL seem to have decided to only feature Ontario artists (except for BC & Montreal game) in Thursday night CFL concert series.

Considering half of CFL teams are on the Prairies, hope this doesn't come off with Prairie CFL fans as some kind of Ontario-centric entertainment gratification by the "Canadian" music industry.

VANRIDERFAN Jun 6, 2018 5:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack (Post 8211795)
I dunno. It seems like they've mostly slotted the right musical genres in the right places.

Some people only see the red mist when they hear the phrase "country music".

But to be fair, some of the shyte I hear on the radio do a dis-service to country music.:haha:


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