No Shock: Bills in Toronto likely done?

[Neely2005]

What 'rules' did I break?

I'm willing to bet that my time at IBM as a network Infrastructure analyst I had more "control" of the Internet than you would ever dream of.

Isn't off topic against the rules? That's why I extended a PM invitation. Cool and as I said I have 20 years in the Telecommunications industry working for numerous ILEC and CLEC companies.

We'll just have to wait and see what system they come up with. My understanding is that the grass won't be planted but laid on top of the concrete surface in some fashion for the baseball season and then removed when it is finished.

So what happens to the Bills game if the Jays make the playoffs? (Yeah yeah I know that it's highly unlikely :-)

[T-Bone]

So what happens to the Bills game if the Jays make the playoffs? (Yeah yeah I know that it's highly unlikely :-)

I don't have all the logistical answers but I'm sure they will figure something out.

[ArgoRavi]

If the Bills game is scheduled from about mid-November onwards then it won't matter if the Jays make the playoffs or not.

[ArgoZ]

We'll just have to wait and see what system they come up with. My understanding is that the grass won't be planted but laid on top of the concrete surface in some fashion for the baseball season and then removed when it is finished.

If they are going to lay it down similar to the recent soccer games they have had at the dome, then they can sure remove it for any event, even one requiring seating reconfiguration. They could even bring in turf for football and grass for baseball. Turnover would be more time, as would cost, but that's already known when switching to expensive grass. I just can't see multipurpose Rogers Centre sitting idle for a long baseball season. It is currently and constantly booked every weekend and more, as is.

[mac_davy]

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/26...-rogers-centre

If its season tickets notices have been delayed this long, its because the bills are trying to get out of this deal, and rogers is still saying they want it. Phil Lind wont give up, and admit this was a turd.

[Ron]

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/26...-rogers-centre

If its season tickets notices have been delayed this long, its because the bills are trying to get out of this deal, and rogers is still saying they want it. Phil Lind wont give up, and admit this was a turd.

Lind is the one who wanted it to begin with. Ted (who lots here deride unfairly) went with the idea because he was sold that it would be a big money maker. I doubt it would have been renewed in the first place if Ted was still around.

Anyways. We'll see soon if this reporter has just been talking out if his ass the whole time.

[mac_davy]

Lind is the one who wanted it to begin with. Ted (who lots here deride unfairly) went with the idea because he was sold that it would be a big money maker. I doubt it would have been renewed in the first place if Ted was still around.

Anyways. We'll see soon if this reporter has just been talking out if his ass the whole time.

I don't even get what rogers wants this for, they don't even think they have the national rights to broadcast it, they might have the regional but that's it. TSN has exclusive national broadcast rights to all the NFL next year. Rogers through everything at the NHL.

[T-Bone]

If they are going to lay it down similar to the recent soccer games they have had at the dome, then they can sure remove it for any event, even one requiring seating reconfiguration. They could even bring in turf for football and grass for baseball. Turnover would be more time, as would cost, but that's already known when switching to expensive grass. I just can't see multipurpose Rogers Centre sitting idle for a long baseball season. It is currently and constantly booked every weekend and more, as is.

Like I said we will have to wait and see but they have said several times that during the baseball season the seat configuration will be locked in place because of the grass. I believe they also mentioned that they are going to put in a drainage system in to the floor which is currently not there. I assume the drainage would be so they could water the grass over the baseball season. When they lay the grass down for soccer games it is used only the one time, if they did that every weekend or every other weekend it would be extremely expensive. Also a baseball field is significantly larger than a soccer pitch.

[Invader]

I don't even get what rogers wants this for, they don't even think they have the national rights to broadcast it, they might have the regional but that's it. TSN has exclusive national broadcast rights to all the NFL next year. Rogers through everything at the NHL.

After the NFL endorsed the renewal of the Bills in Toronto series, Rogers waited a few months, then signed for another 5 years. I believe this was done to maintain Rogers relationship with the NFL. They would have egg on their faces if they decided to reject the NFL games after Goddell had approved the deal. Rogers was probably hoping the Bills would finally became a playoff-calibre team, which might stoke some fan interest in Toronto.

Pelley said during the BiT confirmation press conference that the deal "allowed the Bills in Toronto game to be broadcast on Sportsnet", which probably cinched the deal for Rogers. I believe the NFL agreed to schedule the BiT game at 4:00 pm, so could be shown on Sportsnet (the actual NFL TV rights were purchased by Rogers in a separate deal).

The 2013 Bills in Toronto game drew only 250,000 viewers across Canada on Sportsnet.

I'm not so sure Rogers is actually losing their NFL broadcasting rights to TSN, that has not been confirmed as far as I know.

[mac_davy]

http://canadiansportsfan.wordpress.c...n-ctv-and-tsn/

TSN and Bell have exclusive sunday coverage of all the Canadian brodcast NFL games, so unless the bills in toronto is moved to another time as far as i know Rogers can't even televise it.

[ArgoRavi]

http://canadiansportsfan.wordpress.c...n-ctv-and-tsn/

TSN and Bell have exclusive sunday coverage of all the Canadian brodcast NFL games, so unless the bills in toronto is moved to another time as far as i know Rogers can't even televise it.

TSN/Bell, I believe, have the rights to the 1 pm and Sunday/Monday night (and maybe the Thursday night?) games while Rogers has the rights to the 4 pm games on Sunday. All of the Bills in Toronto games so far have been shown on Rogers.

[mac_davy]

its says in the press release TSN now has Sunday 4pm games, i'm i reading that incorrectly? or is it divided?

[AngeloV]

its says in the press release TSN now has Sunday 4pm games, i'm i reading that incorrectly? or is it divided?

That is correct. The deal Ravi speaks of expeired after the 2013 season.

[ArgoRavi]

That is correct. The deal Ravi speaks of expeired after the 2013 season.

That teaches me for not reading that link. I guess Rogers has no money now for anything other than the NHL and Blue Jays baseball.

[mac_davy]

So according to the new contract, rogers cant even televise the game, whats the point of this anymore to them then?

[Invader]

I guess the NFL could schedule the Bills in Toronto game on Thursday night or Thanksgiving? But there it is in black & white, CTV/TSN takes over the 4:00 pm games from Sportsnet and CityTV. This is a real kick in teeth for Rogers who had staked a lot on the NFL... which explains Rogers massive overbidding for NHL TV rights. This shut out TSN, who said they didn't want to pay any more than the $40 million they had been paying for the NHL rights.

This also explains the saturation NFL advertising on the Olympic networks, "The NFL Lives Here!" But no mention of the CFL? I guess TSN is now totally committed to the NFL and perhaps believes the CFL doesn't need any promotion?

TSN has used the popularity of the CFL games to promote the NFL on TSN and CTV. They will rarely promote or even mention Sunday CFL games during CFL broadcasts (while FNF and Sat. games are promoted). TSN runs slickly-produced saturation ads for SNF, MNF and CTV NFL Sunday on CFL telecasts, even if they go head-to-head against a CFL Sunday game (which isn't mentioned). The sad part is TSN is the only media friend the CFL has (had?) CTV and Sportsnet seem to hate the CFL while most other networks largely ignore them.
Maybe if MLSE buys the Argos and with Rogers dumping the NFL, will they become CFL boosters? Yaaaay, Rogers!

[ArgoRavi]

I guess the NFL could schedule the Bills in Toronto game on Thursday night or Thanksgiving? But there it is in black & white, CTV/TSN takes over the 4:00 pm games from Sportsnet and CityTV. This is a real kick in teeth for Rogers who had staked a lot on the NFL... which explains Rogers massive overbidding for NHL TV rights. This shut out TSN, who said they didn't want to pay any more than the $40 million they had been paying for the NHL rights.

This also explains the saturation NFL advertising on the Olympic networks, "The NFL Lives Here!" But no mention of the CFL? I guess TSN is now totally committed to the NFL and perhaps believes the CFL doesn't need any promotion?

TSN has used the popularity of the CFL games to promote the NFL on TSN and CTV. They will rarely promote or even mention Sunday CFL games during CFL broadcasts (while FNF and Sat. games are promoted). TSN runs slickly-produced saturation ads for SNF, MNF and CTV NFL Sunday on CFL telecasts, even if they go head-to-head against a CFL Sunday game (which isn't mentioned). The sad part is TSN is the only media friend the CFL has (had?) CTV and Sportsnet seem to hate the CFL while most other networks largely ignore them.
Maybe if MLSE buys the Argos and with Rogers dumping the NFL, will they become CFL boosters? Yaaaay, Rogers!

I did not see enough of the Olympics on TSN to have noticed any NFL advertising although it would be a little strange that they would be advertising the NFL when we are much closer to the start of the next CFL season. I can say that I noticed a lot of CFL advertising on all Bell media TV stations last year including CTV, MTV (yes, I must admit that I watch that horrid Teen Mom show because my better half puts it on), Comedy, and Discovery Investigation. I would expect similar levels of advertising at least this year, especially with the greater financial investment that Bell/TSN is making in the CFL.

[Ron]

This also explains the saturation NFL advertising on the Olympic networks, "The NFL Lives Here!" But no mention of the CFL? I guess TSN is now totally committed to the NFL and perhaps believes the CFL doesn't need any promotion?

TSN has used the popularity of the CFL games to promote the NFL on TSN and CTV.

It may just come down to advertising products that need the help to garner a big audience. Figuring they don't need a ton of advertising to get CFL numbers up as they have settled at a consistently high level.

[mac_davy]

Given the viewership of a lot of cfl games doubles and even triples the NFL on tsn, They will continue to nurture both products. Having both products on the same network should boost the CFL ratings. Most fans of football will gladly watch both CFL and NFL games, and some of the fair-weather fans that haven't given the clf a chance may actually have it advertised properly to them now. There will most defiantly CFL adds playing during these NFL games, and vise versa, its all good.

[ArgoRavi]

Here is an interesting piece in today's Buffalo News which, if true, should make it a bit easier to pull the plug on this series: http://bills.buffalonews.com/2014/03...-toronto-deal/