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I think a more valuable stat would be to see the last most watched Grey Cup in Southern Ontario, which would, in a way, provide an example of the true interest that region has in the CFL.
Regardless the numbers are quite impressive. Any other sports league in this country would love to have that viewership. It's a positive to see that it has only been since 2013, which shows there is some consistency in these great numbers. Next year in Edmonton will undoubtedly have a great turnout with 60,000 in attendance. A lot of positives coming from this past CFL season. Still lots to improve upon of course. Crappy teams in BC and MTL certainly decreases the interest they receive in their respective markets, but put a winning team on the field and support comes back. If one were to really be critical of one team's support, I'd say look no further than Calgary. They have consistently had great teams, but has been a long long time since they last sold out, even Labour Day classics or Riders games, that used to be consistently sold out, aren't anymore. Even this past West Finals game with Edmonton was 5k short of a sellout. Nonetheless, a lot of positives for the CFL and its future. |
^ Calgary fans take it for granted. It was the same way in Winnipeg for the decade+ that the Bombers were dominant from, say, 84-94. Calgary's run has been even longer than that, basically 25 years of dominant teams except for that short stint when Feterik ran the team into the ground. Fans there don't know any other way.
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Haters gonna hate!
If we're talking those terms then I wish the NHL would disregard any stat and history of the NHL's original 6 era. Talk about a joke of a league back then, and to think it's actually celebrated! Not to mention 16 teams made the playoffs when the NHL had only 20 teams. |
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Adding Halifax will help create more competition and it's a positive to see that upsets do happen all the time. It's not like USports men's basketball where Carleton wins every year. |
641K viewers for the TFC game on Wednesday night on TSN.
An additional 223K in the US |
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I assume 641k is the average viewers... what was the peak viewership?
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From xyvs cfl.ca
Grey Cup ratings on ESPN2 on Sunday were up 88% over last year! They averaged 237,000 viewers in the U.S. over the 4.5 hour duration of the game, pre-game and post-game shows going up against NFL Sunday...up from 126,000 last year. Looking for confirmation |
A nice sports round-up in Friday's National Post, by Tom Mayenknecht.
http://nationalpost.com/sports/footb...4-4ae3c1cb0e26 "Bulls & Bears: Canucks may be rolling, but Grey Cup runneth over" Bulls of the Week It’s been a bullish week sports-wise for the country’s largest media market, with the Toronto Argonauts winning the Grey Cup last Sunday. They stunned the heavily-favoured Calgary Stampeders 27-24 in the snow at Ottawa’s TD Place — the best corporately-named football stadium in North America. Kudos, by the way, to the host Ottawa Redblacks, last year’s champions, who further cemented their bullish reputation as one of the three best-run franchises in the CFL by doing Lord Grey proud. The Argos’ unexpected windfall came four days before Toronto FC won the Eastern Conference trophy and earned a ticket to its second consecutive Major League Soccer Cup Final. To round out the week, the Toronto Maple Leafs have won nine-of-12 to earn a 17-9-1 record — the third-best in the NHL — going into a Hockey Night in Canada showdown Saturday afternoon against the host Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, the retooling Canucks have to be happy with a 3-2-1 road trip to go with seven wins in their last 12 games and a surprisingly respectable 12-10-4 record. They’re also celebrating the veteran Daniel Sedin — who joined his brother Henrik in crossing the career 1,000-point mark Thursday, becoming the first brother act in NHL history to do so — and the rookie Brock Boeser, who at 25 points is now tied in NHL scoring with Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Yet the Bull of the Week is clearly the Canadian institution that is the Grey Cup. Entertainment-wise, it was an instant classic. Business-wise, it drove a combined average national audience of 4.3 million Canadians to TSN (4.1 million) and RDS (222,000) and peaked at six million viewers in the dying seconds of a remarkable finish. Those were the best TV numbers for the Grey Cup since 2013. The result was also a big shot in the arm for the Argos, striving under new ownership to rebuild a season ticket base decimated through promotional neglect since their last win in 2012. If last Sunday’s result helps the Boatmen turn around their sagging attendance of the past few seasons, it’s a win for the entire CFL. Bears of the Week Football, NFL-style, did not have as good news as the CFL did from the department of television ratings. After an American Thanksgiving that was a turkey according to the Nielsen TV numbers — down 19 per cent for the holiday triple-header, with slides of 10 per cent on FOX, 19 per cent on NBC and a whopping 25 per cent on CBS — it wasn’t much better the rest of the way for Week 12. The FOX and CBS Sunday afternoon games fell nine per cent and eight per cent, respectively, and ESPN’s Monday Night Football unravelled to the tune of a 33 per cent drop from 2016. Only NBC Sunday Night Football showed an increase this week — an incremental three per cent — and even that needed an exciting finish between two marquee brands (the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers) to get there. The bearish TV ratings are getting as much attention as Carson Wentz and the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles, and that’s uncomfortable territory for the NFL That game — to be hosted once again at BMO Field on Saturday, Dec. 9 — is a rematch of last year’s championship won in penalty kicks by Seattle Sounders FC. |
THIS WEEK IN THE CFL - PLAYOFFS & GREY CUP REVIEW
Ratings, Online Traffic, Social Engagement All Strong For Compelling Games CFL.ca December 5, 2017 TORONTO — The metrics are in on the 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw and the Grey Cup Playoffs. Here is a look at the numbers: PLAYOFF AND GREY CUP RATINGS The 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw in Ottawa had an average audience of 4.3 million on TSN and RDS, a 10% increase over last year and the largest audience since the 101st Grey Cup. Nearly 10 million Canadians watched at least some part of the game. The key Southern Ontario market was up 58%. The next generation of fans tuned in: viewers aged 2 to 17 were up 48%. Ratings for the Divisional Finals were up 19% from a year ago. Six million people tuned in to at least some part of the games. There was growth across adult demographics: 18-34 was up 39%, 18-49 was up 27% and 25-54 was up 16%. There was growth in Canada’s largest market -- Toronto/GTA was up 115% -- and in Calgary (+39%). The Divisional Semi-Finals averaged more than one million viewers, up 7% from last year. With 4.3 million Canadians watching at least some part of the games, they were the most watched Semi-Finals in three years. CFL.CA TRAFFIC Through the playoffs, traffic on CFL.ca increased dramatically from a year ago: Page views +42% Unique page views +43.5% Video views +23% Average time on site +6% During Grey Cup week traffic continued to surge, compared to 2016: Page views +19% Unique page views +22% Average time on site +2% On Grey Cup Sunday itself, the numbers jumped again, despite the fact that last year’s game was an overtime thriller: Pageviews +12% Unique page views +16% @CFL: MOST SOCIAL GREY CUP EVER Twitter results for #GreyCup surpassed 265,000+ on Sunday. The day after the game produced another 715,000+ Tweets from Canadians discussing the game’s thrilling finish and Shania Twain’s spectacular halftime performance. The total number of CFL-related tweets during the playoffs and Grey Cup reached almost half a million. Total engagement (including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) was up 17% compared to last year Engagement rate (including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) was up41% compared to 2016 The most RT’d tweet from @CFL registered 1,500+ RTs and 4,400+ likes. The most liked Instagram post was the final score graphic, reaching 8,500+ likes. Social video (including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) views were up 58% and engagement was up 61% The top-performing videos from Grey Cup Week: Ricky Ray to Devier Posey TD - 400,000+ views on Facebook Bo Levi Mitchell “Saturdays are for the Boys” - 220,000+ views on Twitter Grey Cup interrupts Marcus Ball Speech - 130,000+ views on Facebook Facebook streams throughout Grey Cup Week reached impressive numbers: 200,000+ total minutes viewed across all Grey Cup streams 1,000,000+ total people reached 160,000+ total unique viewers #CFLTHISWEEK During the season, #CFLTHISWEEK accumulated 1,500,000+ total viewers. During Grey Cup Week, #CFLTHISWEEK reached 525,000+ total viewers. CFL FOOTBALL FRENZY In September, the CFL launched ‘CFL Football Frenzy’, a fast-paced, shoot-out style arcade game aimed at very young audiences and available for download on mobile and tablet devices. CFL Football Frenzy amassed more than 208,000+ downloads and was ranked #1 in the Kids category in the Apple App Store and has been frequently featured in the Google Play store. 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. |
If only the Argo's could translate those one night numbers into sold seats.
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For the CFL’s Grey Cup director, the big game is a calling
Rachel Brady The Globe and Mail November 24 2017 She's been described by some of her CFL co-workers as a Grey Cup rock star. When it comes to Canada's biggest yearly football event, she is the overseer of details large and small. The job is sometimes glamorous, such as when she travels to world-class sporting events in search of ideas, welcomes players into the CFL awards gala or deals with the Prime Minister's office to secure his presence at the big game. Other times, the job is gritty, such as packing a U-Haul truck with everything from footballs to banners and computers, and then driving to Ottawa days before most staffers would arrive. On the eve of the 105th rendition of Canada's favourite football game, Céline Séguin, 31 and Grey Cup director, is in charge of it all. She spent her year planning the CFL's championship event and the party-filled festival that surrounds it. Since joining the CFL's Toronto office fresh out of university as an intern in 2009, Séguin has been immersed in the planning of several Grey Cups and quickly climbed the ranks from event co-ordinator to this position, which the CFL created last fall. "I think Grey Cup 12 months a year, so it's funny when people ask me what I do in the off-season," Séguin said. "What's an off-season? We have the planning for at least two Grey Cups going on all times. As soon as this one in Ottawa is done, we continue on with the plans we have going for Edmonton in 2018. I've already done seven site-visits in Edmonton." The league created the job to add cohesion between the planning of the Grey Cup by the CFL and the Grey Cup Festival by the local committee. There was a need for someone to oversee the dozens of different departments involved and bring a uniform look, feel and polish to it all. "There was talk about going outside to hire for this position, but it quickly became obvious that she was a natural choice," said Curtis Emerson, director of events and production at the CFL. "It's a huge job, having to oversee so many different groups and deal with team presidents and local organizing committees who have ideas about the way things have always been done or should be done. She offers fresh perspectives, and she's passionate. I tell her all the time, 'You're going to be the first female commissioner of the CFL'." Séguin grew up in Elliot Lake, Ont., a town of some 10,000 people north of Lake Huron, between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. "People ask me if I grew up loving the CFL," Séguin said. "Well, not exactly; the only sporting events I ever went to as a kid were my brothers' baseball games or, if I was lucky, maybe a Sudbury Wolves game. But I still grew up loving sports." She played high-school basketball and then went to Laurentian University to study sports administration before landing the internship with the CFL. She left from 2010-12 to work with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and then in sports sponsorships for S&E Sponsorship Group before Emerson had the chance to hire her back to the CFL. She's worked on every Grey Cup since. The Grey Cup is far more than a football game on Sunday. It has a glossy halftime show. It is several days of big media events with the teams. There's an awards gala and the CFL commissioner's annual address to the media. There's also, of course, lots of fans and countless parties and events. It's a yearly pilgrimage for thousands of Canadians, who arrive in their jerseys, cowboy hats, kilts or helmets made of watermelons. They play their drums and trade pins, and they journey from pub to pub. And the people behind the Grey Cup are striving to reach new and younger fans. Séguin looks objectively at every aspect and asks whether things are being done as efficiently and purposefully as possible and whether some are valuable traditions or just old habits. It's something she learned from a highly respected veteran of the industry whom the CFL has consulted at times, Frank Supovitz. He's had senior roles in events for both the NFL and NHL. "If you struggle to find a reason why you're still doing a certain event or doing it a certain way, maybe it's time to change it," Séguin said. "You can't just apply a cookie-cutter approach to the Grey Cup – each one is different." This Grey Cup game, slated for Ottawa's TD Place Stadium on Sunday evening, is a highlight in a year of big events in the capital city, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation. "Everyone wants to see this Grey Cup raise the bar, and Céline has to keep her eye on the entire thing – not just the football game, but the guest experience, the television experience, and the festival integration," said Patrick Roberge of PRP Productions, which produces the halftime show. "She's our leader. Her new position was a statement from the league saying the Grey Cup is our biggest event. It's what everyone works toward, and we need to give it the attention and support it requires. And it has paid off having her in this role." Séguin is hardly the only woman working on Grey Cup; the core team working with her every day on includes several females. At a media event this week, Séguin was walking around the room co-ordinating with several key women, such as the CFL director of content, Kelly Shouldice, and the VP of marketing, Christina Litz – when a few media members took note. "I heard a few people mention it this week, and one male reporter did mention it to me, 'Wow, there are a lot women working on Grey Cup'," Séguin recalled. "It's a great working environment, and I think women have every chance to advance at the CFL." Séguin and Litz got full access to last February's Super Bowl in Houston, so they could research all aspects of the game and the fan festival. Séguin finds herself taking notes at every sporting event she watches or attends, from an MLS game on TV to a summer vacation at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She's part of a staff always on the lookout for something fresh to add to an event weaved into Canada's sporting culture. "I've got this amazing group of colleagues that you've seen this week, they're running around and working so hard because they love the game as much as I do," said CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie in his State of the League address. "They're energetic and vibrant and they love the game. It's so easy to go to work with people like that." While Séguin used to be hands-on with many Grey Cup events, now she's the final set of eyes to come in and oversee them all. Ambrosie is the third commissioner with whom she's worked, and she's learned to adjust the commissioner's address to their individual speaking styles – Mark Cohon liked a microphone and tall stool, Jeffrey Orridge preferred a small lapel microphone, and she decided to install a sleek turfgrass floor at the last moment so he could walk across the stage while speaking without his shoes clicking too much. Ambrosie approached her to ask if he could talk to the volunteers in Ottawa this week so he can thank them all in person. She'll work to make that happen, too. Although she's 31, Séguin jokes that she's actually more like 25, because her birthday falls during Grey Cup week every year, so it takes a back seat to the full plate of last-minute logistics she's juggling. She spent her birthday Thursday night wearing a formal gown alongside many of her colleagues on the red carpet of the CFL awards night, directing players, coaches, owners and their families. Her 32nd birthday will be in Edmonton and the planning for the 106th Grey Cup in the Alberta capital is well under way. Within six months, the site of the 2019 Grey Cup will be announced, and all of the hotels and key venues need to be locked in. Séguin says they're working to the point where three Grey Cups are being planned at once. "We're noticing that more and more big events and conferences are coming to big Canadian cities and there's lots of competition for the best hotels, venues and conference centres, so we want to start booking our sites earlier," Séguin said. "We want to get ahead of that, so we get the best facilities, and we can deliver the best experiences." |
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