Where to find 1/2 Stadium of Fans

[Rich]

It isn't. BC's attendance has been problematic for a few years now. Their home opener this year only had 19,000... and that's a VERY generous number. Montreal barely cracks 20,000 and Calgary's attendance has dropped the last few years - and only got 24,000 in their home opener this year. TV ratings are down as well so far.

The CFL is in much, much better shape financially today than it was in 1997.

[matchuk]

One more thing. Make the entire upper deck throughout the stadium designated as low income family seating. Base pricing on a percentage of family income. This will keep kids and families out of trouble, expand the argos brand as well as the cfl brand in general.

Along with that, maybe make tickets cheaper for kids? The Jays, Rock, and Steelheads do that.

[C-Mag]

I agree with that. Although you can't group in the Steelheads with the Jays and Rock because 2 of the 3 are professional teams. The Steelheads can't even sell out their games when they just had an elite team filled with 9 future NHL players 2 of which were 1st round picks.

[Gill The Thrill]

One more thing. Make the entire upper deck throughout the stadium designated as low income family seating. Base pricing on a percentage of family income. This will keep kids and families out of trouble, expand the argos brand as well as the cfl brand in general.

Honestly, do you work in government? How can you determine the income of people from just having them come out to a game.

If you're going to offer discounted tickets and I have no problem with that...it better start with your bread and butter and that's with season ticket holders first, then everybody else. With your plan, you'd have to a have a staff larger than Revenue Canada to figure out who could be considered "low income." To be very critical, if they're so in need in that they are "low income," then where will be the payoff for the organization come for them to become "premium" paid customers. Finally If the numbers still aren't high, what's next....free popcorn and food concessions too? The workers in those concessions aren't exactly working for free, and I sadly notice the Argos have already cut back in concessions in that second level of the east stands. I honestly think this is the main reason the club decided to not sell tickets to the upper east stands and that's ridiculous. FAST SERVICE at the concessions is GOOD service and if people feel like they're going to miss 5-10 minutes of game action at a concession, that can be another excuse to not attend games.

[Gill The Thrill]

I agree with that. Although you can't group in the Steelheads with the Jays and Rock because 2 of the 3 are professional teams. The Steelheads can't even sell out their games when they just had an elite team filled with 9 future NHL players 2 of which were 1st round picks.

The Steelheads had 4,000 + for their SF and Final games of the OHL playoffs, and that's with increased ticket prices which go up for every round. They also lost Jersey draft pick Mike McLeod on a major slashing penalty in Game 4 of the Finals and exhibited no offense after that. Crowds of almost 4,500 are quite good for the OHL Final anywhere, and that's what the y had at the Hershey Centre with the little publicity the team gets. Mississauga does not have TV, Radio station, nor a daily paper, so the team regardless of how many draft picks they may have is always at the end of sports pages and sports broadcasts...hmmm, sounds like Argos at the Pro level. Remember MLSE also does not promote Jr hockey at all, haven't for years especially since the Marlies took up shop in the AHL playing at the Ricoh Coliseum. They'd rather promote Raptors 905 in Mississauga than promote the Steelheads, and do so.

[Argo57]

One more thing. Make the entire upper deck throughout the stadium designated as low income family seating. Base pricing on a percentage of family income. This will keep kids and families out of trouble, expand the argos brand as well as the cfl brand in general.

Sounds fair to STH's who are already paying full pop to sit in these areas??
I think your heart is in the right place but you should keep a persons personal income out of the equation.

[C-Mag]

You determine a person's income by simply asking to see a OW/ODSP/Etc.... receipt of payment if they are on assistance or see their tax return. It could be done. Just an idea. The return for the Argos would be exposing kids/teens/young adults to the game of football where without the help of the Argos they might not ever get exposed to it in a positive way. It could really change lives and who knows you might even have these kids/teens become CFL players one day. Nobody puts a gun to anybodies head and forces them to purchase season tickets. Good for you for being able to put yourself in the situation where you can afford them. Look at all the kids who are talented enough but their families don't have enough money to put them through sports. Why can't the CFL be the first professional league to do something so ground breaking? The people who work concessions should be thankful and feel blessed to have a job no matter how much or how little it pays. Well those Steelhead games weren't sold out. Ticket prices go up by a couple of dollars but not season ticket holders. It's the same exact case for ALL other CHL teams. Steelhead games are always on Rogers TV aren't they or Cogeco? The Sting couldn't even sell out any of our play off games against Erie it was quite embarrassing. I could get tickets on on Kijiji for half the price all season. As well as people will giving away free tickets at the doors almost every game too. Why shouldn't a person's personal income come into play when it comes to this? There is no such thing's as privacy any more you even get credit checks done on you when applying for retail/customer service jobs.

[C-Mag]

Having season tickets or watching all games from home doesn't make you any more or any less of a fan. Being a fan is what you make it to be and what it means to you. I'm a life long Packers fan I have it tattooed on my arm. My earliest childhood memories have to do with the Packers. I've never been to a game I hope to go to Lambeau one day. Am I any less of a fan than those who live in Green Bay?

[Topshelf]

The income idea is nice, but an administrative headache.
Just make it 5 dollars, limit 4 per person for the upper east side next year, or do it for the upper east side corners for this year if no season seats are there right now.
It would be great PR, if sold as reaching out as an affordable option for all families. BMO is right beside parkdale, how many parkdale residents can afford to take in a game?
But I do agree also with the post about closed concession stands the jays used to do the same, when dome was sparse. But every once in a while they'd get a huge crowd (yankees/red sox/school day), and still have like one stand open for everyone to line up at.
Tannenbaum should see the season and next as money losing, just eat the costs and try to provide the best experience possible. Cheap tickets, giveaways, etc. Anything to get the fans back.

[Argo57]

You determine a person's income by simply asking to see a OW/ODSP/Etc.... receipt of payment if they are on assistance or see their tax return. It could be done. Just an idea. The return for the Argos would be exposing kids/teens/young adults to the game of football where without the help of the Argos they might not ever get exposed to it in a positive way. It could really change lives and who knows you might even have these kids/teens become CFL players one day. Nobody puts a gun to anybodies head and forces them to purchase season tickets. Good for you for being able to put yourself in the situation where you can afford them. Look at all the kids who are talented enough but their families don't have enough money to put them through sports. Why can't the CFL be the first professional league to do something so ground breaking? The people who work concessions should be thankful and feel blessed to have a job no matter how much or how little it pays. Well those Steelhead games weren't sold out. Ticket prices go up by a couple of dollars but not season ticket holders. It's the same exact case for ALL other CHL teams. Steelhead games are always on Rogers TV aren't they or Cogeco? The Sting couldn't even sell out any of our play off games against Erie it was quite embarrassing. I could get tickets on on Kijiji for half the price all season. As well as people will giving away free tickets at the doors almost every game too. Why shouldn't a person's personal income come into play when it comes to this? There is no such thing's as privacy any more you even get credit checks done on you when applying for retail/customer service jobs.

Can be done without having someone prove their income, simply discount the ticket prices in certain sections.

[C-Mag]

They just did a quick segment during the Blue Bombers Stamps game. The Bombers partnered with a suicide prevention group and also teamed up with a reserve in northern Manitoba where they fly 40-50 natives to every home game put them up in a hotel give them seats for the game meet and greet with the players and other perks. Makes me wonder what the other teams do in the league?

[R.J]

Tanenbaum and Bell, have to be patient here, and IMO need to push for more media coverage of the Argonauts. Find a way to get people to at least come to check out a game, aside from people bringing up the amount of empty seats, I've yet to hear anyone talk negatively about the game or game day experience.

I wonder how patient Tanenbaum and Bell will be with Copeland and Moore though, I haven't seen too many positives as of yet.

[BATKINSON001]

I guess I haven't seen much of it yet.....any ads targeting the suburbs people can point to? anything special being promoted outside of a bobblehead to make people want to go to games who don't normally go to games? I haven't seen much on TV either (not saying its not there, just that I haven't seen much of it) -- the point is is there anything creative being attempted that people are aware of?

They haven't been promoting the team in the 905 area code. I saw one add on a ctv channel before the home opener, that is it, there is nothing here in Durham, they need ads, why not pay to put ads on the sides of busses? The 900 pulse bus that goes from downtown oshawa to the U of T scarborough campus would be a good one to start with as that route is regularly packed with people going both directions on a main route through durham region, or put the ad on the side of a go train car (or several) on the lakeshore east and west lines and the Barrie line...

It has been done by other companies, the Argos need to do it too.

[C-Mag]

The CFL needs to get with the current day and age. So many people have cut their cable and with good reason too. They need to start live streaming games on Facebook Youtube etc.... They will make their money on ads they can put during games.

[1971GreyCup]

Deal with 9 very good commission-based individuals across regions around the GTA. Pay them 20% commission on individual game tickets, rather than discounting tickets by 20%. Pay them 30% on Season Tickets. Set loose these entrepreneurs. Top price tickets would be sold first under this formula. These people would work their tail off. They could make $15,000 - $20,000 per game with hard work.

Argos would recover that payment in concessions and individuals would get access to a great product. After a season, the team could double or triple their Season Tickets holders. We are operating in a free market where there are plenty of smart go-getters out there ready to solve problems for the right price.

Give it a shot!

[Jayahre]

The CFL needs to get with the current day and age. So many people have cut their cable and with good reason too. They need to start live streaming games on Facebook Youtube etc.... They will make their money on ads they can put during games.

That's the future, the TSN contract is up in 2022 and by that time they may have lost millions of cable/satellite cutters. The Post article last week about sports viewership stated that the CFL has the oldest fans and the lowest per centage of millenials. Advertising is aimed at the millenials so you can't count on the TSN TV contract worth much in 2022 unless they connect with the millenials. The internet and streaming are the future, young people will watch games on their IPhones and Pads.
But getting fans to the games is the top priority, Tanebaum and Ambrosie between them may be able to come up with ideas.
If they don't get fans to Argo games there will be no Argos on TV or the internet to watch!!

[C-Mag]

IMO they cannot wait until 2022. The CFL could in all reality be folded by then. This league has never kept up with the current times in any way ever. They have already lost thousands of cable cutters and will continue to do so. Exactly the CFL has the oldest fans and if they don't do something to change that ASAP the league will be gone in the very near future. Don't kid yourself TSN doesn't get millions of viewers when FOX and CNN can't even get that on a average night. When minimum wage goes up in the next couple of years these problems with the Argos and this league will escalate even more. The average family can't even afford to go to the movies more than 1 time per month. This league is the slowest adapting league out of all professional sports.

[Shipyard]

IMO they cannot wait until 2022. The CFL could in all reality be folded by then. This league has never kept up with the current times in any way ever. They have already lost thousands of cable cutters and will continue to do so. Exactly the CFL has the oldest fans and if they don't do something to change that ASAP the league will be gone in the very near future. Don't kid yourself TSN doesn't get millions of viewers when FOX and CNN can't even get that on a average night. When minimum wage goes up in the next couple of years these problems with the Argos and this league will escalate even more. The average family can't even afford to go to the movies more than 1 time per month. This league is the slowest adapting league out of all professional sports.

LMOL ... TSN just gave ottawa senators 30 million a year for NHL rights to 60 games, most of which don't crack 100,000. At only $40m/year, CFL is TSNs main money maker and a year ago extended the CFL deal for more $ ... a week after shaw (global which is Bell's key competitor in TV) became the grey cups key sponsor. CFL is a tent pole for TSN along with its Hockey Canada deal, it keeps people from cord-cutting and allows them to continue to increase fees

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/fu...181943972.html

[Argofan_1000]

LMOL ... TSN just gave ottawa senators 30 million a year for NHL rights to 60 games, most of which don't crack 100,000. At only $40m/year, CFL is TSNs main money maker and a year ago extended the CFL deal for more $ ... a week after shaw (global which is Bell's key competitor in TV) became the grey cups key sponsor. CFL is a tent pole for TSN along with its Hockey Canada deal, it keeps people from cord-cutting and allows them to continue to increase fees

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/fu...181943972.html

Argos negativity needs to stop as it is hurting the brand. Always 3 things in the news - attendance - loosing money - TV viewership. This agenda is pushed by Rogers and all of their followers. Constantly! Those things must be solved before moving to the next steps. If your an owner you can either accept the losses or sponsor the losses and that's 1 of the issues solved. Either way, same money. One is positive, one is negative. Rogers knows a damaged brand helps BJ's and Rogers bottom line. TSN/Bell and TSN radio in this city does not!!!!!!! The players can fix the TV numbers by winning and looking like a good football team, it will also help in attendance. Then all the other ideas can be brought forward and we have a chance of success.

[ArgoRavi]

Argos negativity needs to stop as it is hurting the brand. Always 3 things in the news - attendance - loosing money - TV viewership. This agenda is pushed by Rogers and all of their followers. Constantly! Those things must be solved before moving to the next steps. If your an owner you can either accept the losses or sponsor the losses and that's 1 of the issues solved. Either way, same money. One is positive, one is negative. Rogers knows a damaged brand helps BJ's and Rogers bottom line. TSN/Bell and TSN radio in this city does not!!!!!!! The players can fix the TV numbers by winning and looking like a good football team, it will also help in attendance. Then all the other ideas can be brought forward and we have a chance of success.

I hate Rogers and the Blue Jays but have to say that Rogers promotes that team like crazy. Can you imagine Bell doing that with the Argos? Why can't they have every second ad on TSN4 - the southern Ontario TSN feed - be an Argos ad like Rogers does with the Jays (okay, I may be exaggerating about every 2nd ad but you get my point)? How about flooding the marketplace with Bell/Argos pocket schedules? How about more explicit tie-ins between Bell and the Argos in the GTA like we see between Rogers and the Jays? The most surprising thing I have seen since Bell took over part-ownership of the Argos is that we haven't seen those kinds of promotions. I really thought we would when they bought the franchise. However, unless you follow the CFL at all, would you even know that Bell is a 50% owner of the Argos? You sure as hell can't escape knowing that Rogers owns the Jays.