Attendance record (for hockey) last night for Canada's 6-2 win over the USA in the semi-finals at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax: 10,636

With skyboxes attendance was 11,241.

https://i.postimg.cc/mZ3KvmDH/sbc.jpg

• Video Link

Some big numbers:

🏈Dallas/San Francisco: 1.78M (CTV)
🏈Cincinnati/Buffalo: 1.77M (CTV)
🏒Toronto/Montreal: 1.34M (CBC/SN)
🏒Edmonton/Vancouver: 1.29M (CBC/SN)
🏈Jacksonville/KC: 1.17M (CTV)

https://twitter.com/AHBSeaborn/statu...96639569723393

What kind of attendance record? Vancouver and Toronto sold out their NHL arenas when they hosted.

I think he meant attendance record for hockey at that specific arena.

Mayor of St Petersburg and Rays announced plans for a new ballpark next to the current one. Also Oakland a's extremely close to relocating to Vegas now. So any hope if montreal getting the expos back now would have to be through expansion which would be very expensive.

This will be what, the third new ballpark proposal for the Rays? Call me when there is a shovel in the ground lol. The Trop isn't the only reason their attendance sucks, it's also a terrible location.

Cincinnati/Kansas City: 2.3M (CTV)
SF/Philadelphia: 1.7M (CTV)

https://twitter.com/AHBSeaborn/statu...98744033824768

Big numbers.
The Eagles/Niners game still pulled in impressive numbers even though the game wasn't good.

Where did you see the A's and Vegas rumor? I know its been out there for years but I haven't seen anything lately.

Its all over the internet just Google oakland a's relocation

It looks like it's almost a done deal too, with the potential move happening in the next two years.

It's amazing seeing Vegas go from zero pro teams just a few years ago to having the Golden Knights and Raiders.

Nhl tv ratings in u.s. down 22% this season. Cannot find any Canadian numbers for several seasons now not sure why its so hard to find?

Apparently the athletic or some other publication researched the reasons for the 22% drop in NHL ratings and it almost entirely due to airing games head-to-head against the NFL's Sunday Night football.

As for Tampa Bay, it's just a proposal at this point. Let's see if it actually gets approved.

Well I would hope so lol.
And thank you for the explanation.

One of the great things about football is that there are so few games that each one is meaningful. I would imagine that most people who are fans of football and hockey are going to opt for football when there's a scheduling conflict, because you know you will just have to wait a couple of days for the next hockey game since there are so many of them.

This why I've never been able to get into hockey. Any time I watch a random game, (Olympics, free tickets, junior C game with my dad) I really do enjoy the sport. There's just no way I can care about eighty games, even just to check on scores or whatever. If I can't reasonably watch every game, what's the point? :shrug: And if you lose... oh well, it was 1.25% of the season and we'll play again in two days.

+1, every game counts in football. The other major leagues (basketball, baseball, hockey), are so over saturated with the number of games in a season each individual game loses importance

I agree, football is a lot less time consuming with fewer games with the games taking less days of the week and you can easily schedule around them since the days they're played on are consistent. Each game is more meaningful and it's enjoyable to watch even if your team isn't playing.

The other thing I love is that you don't have to stare at your TV for long periods of time. Each play only lasts between 5 or 10 seconds and you can easily do other things in between plays (ie. surf the web, etc) throughout the game without missing any of the action. All these reasons are why I only watch football now.

Agreed completely. For probably a good 25 years football was the only sport I followed closely, and the time commitment was one of the reasons... I didn't want to watch multiple games a week. I liked the idea of watching one important, meaningful game a week for 3 hours and that was it.

But then my son got into hockey, I became a fan again and here I am watching hours of hockey a week on TV and in person :haha:

The WHL plays a 68 game schedule and I think going to that schedule would be a great start for the pros, although we all know the NHL would never give up the revenue from cutting back on games.

Back in the stone age (Winnipeg Jets Era V1.0) and you had farm cable, you got one game a week and most of the time it was the f*****g Toronto Maple Leafs. So the odd time the Jets got on TV was a big deal or you went into town to the bar to watch the TSN feed that would show a couple more games. Therefore I listened to a lot of Jets games on CJRB (and it was sketchy at times being so far from Winnipeg).
Playoffs were fantastic because we got all the Canadian playoff rounds.

This is all to say that back in the day, the games were rarely on the tube so when they came on it was an event.

Now? I really don't give a shit about NHL until end Feb.

Yeah, that's true. My parents weren't sports fans so when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s we didn't have TSN. So that meant the single HNIC a game a week, plus the occasional regional "Jets on CKY" or CKND broadcast. So at best there might be two NHL games a week on television. It was always so wild when the playoffs started and during the first couple rounds there was hockey on TV every night!

Now of course you could watch NHL hockey on TV damn near every night. And if you want to pony up for the streaming services, there's AHL, junior and college to fill the gaps on those odd nights when the NHL isn't playing :haha: I'm sure some people do it, though!

Can't believe I used to watch NHL games on so many weeknights in my younger days.

I still do on occasion, but almost never if it isn't Montreal playing. (And sometimes Ottawa.)

And even so I only watch a fraction of Montreal's games in given season. (Though I do watch the vast majority of playoff games if they make it there.)

Agree with you guys that I find it about as interesting to watch a football game with two teams I don't really care about, than watching most any weeknight non-hyped up NHL game involving my own favourite team.

My buddy Rod Pedersen watches hockey every bloody night. No idea how he does it.

If I had to do it for a living like he does, then I could do it with ease. But I think the enjoyment factor would go down.

I think the only time I ever came close to watching every Jets game was during the COVID season of 2020-21, when frankly, there wasn't a whole ton of other things to do for entertainment. I probably watched 3/4 of the season on TV that year.

This season, by contrast, I've been to 3 games in person so far and watched maybe around 10 full games on TV (as well as a bunch of partial games, e.g. a period or two). I do watch a fair bit of junior hockey on top of that, though.

I've hardly watched a full game, but that is mainly because I think I jinx them. Every time I've watched they let in a bunch of goals. When I leave the game they always seem to score a bunch of goals.:???:

It's funny, the Jets are rolling and have played a few dandies this season, but the three games I've been to (all in the last 6 weeks) have been absolute, stone-cold DUDS.

The game vs. Minnesota on Dec. 27, the game vs. Arizona and the most recent dud vs. Buffalo. All 3 games sucked from an entertainment standpoint... I mean, at least they beat Arizona, but that's not saying much. Zero fan atmosphere at all 3 games. The game vs. Buffalo was the worst, it was a library in the arena, tons of people leaving early. I can't say I'm dying to go back to any more games... I think I'll just watch on TV.

https://twitter.com/AHBSeaborn/statu...69899244216322

Yowza.

TORONTO ARROWS EXTEND CANADIAN MEDIA PARTNERSHIP WITH TSN

The Toronto Arrows kick off their 5th Major League Rugby campaign this Friday night. TSN will once again be broadcasting with a mix of online and TV channels.

Interesting poll about interest in pro sports in Canada's provinces.

Quebec is basically at the bottom in terms of interest for all sports.

Quite surprised that only 8% of people here follow the NHL closely. Another 20% follow it a bit. 72% follow the NHL very little or not at all.

The other pro sports barely register a trickle.

Note that while the first part of the article talks about past interest in sports like F1 and boxing, there are no stats for these.

My guess is that if you polled people on those two (plus tennis) you'd get some signs of life, and it's possible that a greater interest in individual sports makes up at least a bit of the difference between Quebec and the other provinces.

https://www.985fm.ca/nouvelles/54104...-professionnel

https://www.oursportscentral.com/ser...game/n-5964487

Winnipeg Sea Bears to See Largest Attendance in CEBL History in First-Ever Game

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Sea Bears are set make history during an already-historic home opener on May 27th. The club announced Monday that the original configuration for Canada Life Centre has sold out, which will make fans part of the largest-ever CEBL crowd.

Due to public demand, the Sea Bears and Canada Life Centre are expanding capacity on a limited basis and have added new tickets effective immediately.

"This is going to be a great night of pro basketball and we encourage fans to get tickets and be part of what is already set to be the largest crowd in CEBL history," said Jason Smith, president of the Sea Bears.

The team's home opener is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 27th at Canada Life Centre against the Vancouver Bandits. Tickets are available online or at seabears.ca. The team is next scheduled to play at home June 12th when they take on the Edmonton Stingers at 7:00 p.m. That game falls on Philippine Independence Day and will feature additional programming to celebrate.

Prices for Blue Jays season tickets are going up by about 10 times. No, fans are not happy
Some Jays fans say the team is 'renovicting' longtime season-ticket holders
Natalie Stechyson · CBC News · Posted: May 24, 2023 10:33 PM ADT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blu...nges-1.6853575

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Jesus Christ, it's a baseball game!!! Whatever happened to a beer and a hot dog???

I like Toronto. I like the Blue Jays. I may have been to about a dozen Jays games in my life. I will often try to go to a game anytime I'm in Toronto.

Even though I like Toronto, I have access to all the amenities I need in my life in Moncton but I have long said the only reason why I might consider a move to the big smoke would be a chance to get Blue Jays season tickets.

I guess that reason doesn't exist any more..............

Thats gotta be a typo don't believe 1700 bucks per game for one seat of regular season baseball

Not a typo. Reported on multiple news outlets, and there was an item about this on Canada AM this morning.

WOW oh well I will stick with the good old CFL please and thank you

Rogers just can't help itself from being Rogers.

The good news is that no one has to pay that kind of money to follow the team. You can watch the games on TV and see everything you need to see. And if someone wants the live sports experience, then there are certainly plenty of alternatives to shelling out the Rogers price to watch the Blue Jays. In the past couple of years I have, in addition to NHL and MLB games, been to CFL football, WHL hockey, AHL hockey, MJHL hockey, USports football, hockey and basketball, and American Association baseball. This weekend I'll be at CEBL basketball. Prices are more than reasonable for all of those events, and they were, to my tastes, solidly entertaining.

Some of the most memorable and exciting games I've attended over that two year stretch included USports basketball, the Canada West playoffs last season in front of raucous packed houses at the University of Manitoba were something I'll never forget. Total cost of my alumni tickets: $0.00. You don't always have to spend big to have a good time.

Way to go Esquire. It's too bad that too many Canadians are only validated by spending big bucks on the big leagues.

Yesterday was the MLS Whitecaps playing the CPL Victoria team for the Voyagers Cup semi final. I watched a bit of it on the internet but the stadium was packed and the action fast paced. What more can you ask for as a fan?

I still remember our old barn in Killarney MB where the Shamrocks were playing the Boissivain Border Kings in the playoffs. The Arena was packed, the teams were evenly matched and the atmosphere was electric. That was over 40 years ago but I still get shivers thinking of that game.

Rogers can charge 500k for a single ticket if they want, it's up to the consumer to determine if they want to pay it. Simple supply and demand.

I often hear people crying about the price of concert tickets for acts like Taylor Swift, and they'll blame Ticketmaster... yet they still purchase the tickets at these ridiculous prices.
Don't like the price? Don't buy the tickets. People seem to have no willpower nowadays. They're suckers for impulse buying and they seem to have constant FOMO for anything they like.

:previous:

Indeed Vanriderfan. The three best sporting experiences I ever had were all QMJHL games:

- Moncton Wildcats vs. Quebec Remparts in the 2006 Memorial Cup final in Moncton (we lost).
- Moncton Wildcats vs. Saint John Sea Dogs in game 7 of the 2010 Quebec League final series in Moncton. We won by one goal, for our second trip to the Memorial Cup. The barn was absolutely electric (we were after all playing our biggest provincial rival).
- Moncton Wildcats vs Baie Comeau Drakkar in game 7 of the second round of the Quebec League playoffs this year in Moncton. Five of the seven games went to overtime, with game 7 going to double overtime. We won on a breakaway goal by Maxim Barbashev. Pure heaven.

I've been to multiple CFL, MLB and NHL games. None has beaten the atmosphere like in games like these. :yes:

I agree, there is nothing morally wrong with Rogers jacking up the prices to see what the market will bear. Pro baseball is not a necessity. But it's still demonstrating the ugly side of capitalism to take a working-class pastime like baseball and charge prices for it that only plutocrats can afford.

The only way I would even consider spending $1700 on a pair of regular season Blue Jays tickets is if my kid was playing in the game. And even then I'd think twice before clicking 'buy'. It blows my mind that someone would spend that kind of cash on some random, totally forgettable Wednesday night game between the Jays and White Sox or whoever.

The Taylor Swift thing is on a whole other level of hysteria IMO. I'm not a huge concert-goer, whenever I've been to big arena shows I've always had the sneaking suspicion that I would have been just as happy buying the album and spending an hour or two listening to it at home. But apparently a lot of people out there derive satisfaction from spending $1000+ to sit in a huge stadium and listen to Ms Swift belt out her hits.

Yeah, and it's not a knock on Swift. I'm not a fan of her music at all, but I'd have the same opinion for artists that I actually like. If they were charging big bucks for a concert, I wouldn't go. I think I'd set my budget at $100 max... and I'd have to think really hard about that too. Luckily the artists I like aren't huge at all and play small venues (which I prefer) and their ticket prices are within my small budget (less than $100).

Now for a sporting event, IMO the enjoyment is so much less than a concert - so it's even a bigger ripoff. Especially for a usually meaningless regular season game of hockey, basketball or baseball (a single game out of 82 or 162 games). Plus nothing beats the convenience of watching in the comfort of your own home - especially with the advent of HDTV and amazing television coverage.

.

I dipped your post in lemon juice and must say I agree.

Wow, only a 140% increase? Thank you Rogers, your generosity knows no bounds! :yes:

Was just on Minnesota Twins website most expensive season tickets are $27,945 at Target Field.How the hell are the Jays getting away with $137,000?

I guess the Twins don't have the amazing business acumen of Rogers driving their pricing strategy.

Even if I had the means to spend that kind of money I wouldn't do it, out of principle. It would be like pulling up to McDonalds and having the guy at the drive thru tell you that a Big Mac meal costs $350. Like, get bent buddy. No Blue Jays game ever has been, or will be worth that kind of money.

I remember when you would get a free blue jays ticket if you bought a hot dog, and no one cared when you snuck into the better seats because they were empty anyways. Surprised the Blue Jays are still drawing fans - it’s been 8 years since the Bautista/Donaldson playoff runs.

Yeah, I noticed. They're 8th in attendance this year at 35k.
This is a team that's currently in last place too and has been underperforming most of the season so far.

We also pack Maple Leafs games - we love a good losing streak around these parts!

The Jays are having not that bad of a season - they may be in last place in the AL East, but the American League, especially the East and West (save for the A's) is insanely good this year. At their current record, they'd be 2nd in the AL Central, and tied for 2nd in both the NL East and NL Central. Their home record is quite a bit better than their away record, and they've had the misfortune of a disproportionately high number of away games in the first month or so this season (due to the SkyDome renovations); their home winning percentage is better than both the Yankees and Boston right now as well, despite being behind both teams in overall winning percentage.

There's also the matter of fans being deprived of in-person games in Toronto for 1 1/2 years. I've come to appreciate in-person sports more since the pandemic; if I still lived in Toronto I'd go to more games than I used to. I've already been to 3 of their road games this year and I plan to see them in Seattle in July.

What i do find interesting is how much baseball is dying in Canada outside Toronto. Olympic Stadium in Montreal will soon revert to soccer and football only in renovation. Ottawa no team Winnipeg goldeyes might soon fold. Calgary i believe no team and ballpark to change to field house. Not sure if Edmonton still has a team?