What will it take for Toronto to love the Argos?

[Flutie]

The success of Premier League TV ratings is both a blessing and a curse for the MLS. On one hand as TV audiences for the Premiere League grow, it might encourage some to try watching MLS broadcasts. But it also has the disadvantage that, as a number of my friends have stated "why watch MLS when I can watch real football"

It will be interesting to follow the progress of the TV ratings of MLS over the next few years. If the numbers start to climb in a significant way, we could see MLS becoming an attractive product for the networks. However, if TV numbers continue to languish with comparatively poor numbers, the networks might decide it isn't worth the expense.

But TFC fans are mainly the young millenials that don't watch a lot of sport on TV, they are streaming on their Iphones and Laptops.
One in four subscribers in this country are cutting the cord and not watching cable/satellite. The future of sports is "streaming" not TV.

As for CFL TV ratings, according to the Damien Cox article in the Star this week, there were over 600k viewers for the Argo/Rider game but only 175,000 viewers in Ontario. Obviously Western viewers are driving the TV ratings. No breakdown of how many of the 175,000 Ontario viewers were in Toronto.

[rdavies]

MLS does not get great TV ratings (yet), but international soccer is firmly entrenched on Canadian TV, and the interest is only going to grow IMO. We get tons of English Premier League games and virtually every Champions League game on TSN and/or Sportsnet, not to mention World Cup, Euro etc. I see growing interest in this stuff among younger people in particular. Eventually some of that interest will extend to MLS, which is arguably higher than the 10th-best league in the world. Its schedule is a problem that can never be solved (being unable to play in winter), but it is growing in international stature and has a number of very successful revenue-generating franchises.

MLS isn't even the best soccer league in North America, Liga MX is. It's been ten years of MLS/TFC and ratings have actually gotten worse since they debuted on CBC. When there were comparative sports ratings from a few years ago they couldn't even crack the top 20 list (100k). When MLS did crack that, the Caps always out-rated TFC. They averaged a low of 38k before the championship season to the point their TV contract was in jeopardy. During the championship season they went to a whopping 98k season average (across Canada) If the CFL had that the death watch would be in full bloom.

[paulwoods13]

MLS isn't even the best soccer league in North America, Liga MX is. It's been ten years of MLS/TFC and ratings have actually gotten worse since they debuted on CBC. When there were comparative sports ratings from a few years ago they couldn't even crack the top 20 list (100k). When MLS did crack that, the Caps always out-rated TFC. They averaged a low of 38k before the championship season to the point their TV contract was in jeopardy. During the championship season they went to a whopping 98k season average (across Canada) If the CFL had that the death watch would be in full bloom.

So you agreed with the first eight words of my post, and ignored the rest. OK.

[Argofan_1000]

But TFC fans are mainly the young millenials that don't watch a lot of sport on TV, they are streaming on their Iphones and Laptops.
One in four subscribers in this country are cutting the cord and not watching cable/satellite. The future of sports is "streaming" not TV.

As for CFL TV ratings, according to the Damien Cox article in the Star this week, there were over 600k viewers for the Argo/Rider game but only 175,000 viewers in Ontario. Obviously Western viewers are driving the TV ratings. No breakdown of how many of the 175,000 Ontario viewers were in Toronto.

but only?? it was 660,000 with no RDS, no ESPN counted. 660K on a friday night is very good. more than this watch but the way the ratings work with Numeris is that it is continuous viewers that account for the 660K. 175,000/660,000 = 27% in Ontario. For a later night game isn't that pretty good? Cox will always give the CFL a negative spin. here is TSN's take on things


Rights holder TSN posted a 12 per cent increase in their Week 1 viewership numbers over 2017, despite the fact the season has been moved up by a week. The 2018 campaign kicked off on June 14 while last year’s regular season began on June 22.

The most-watched game of the week was Friday’s contest between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Toronto Argonauts at Mosaic Stadium in Regina with an average audience of 660,500 English-language viewers. That was followed closely by the Calgary Stampeders’ game with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which drew 651,700 on Saturday.

[rdavies]

But TFC fans are mainly the young millenials that don't watch a lot of sport on TV, they are streaming on their Iphones and Laptops. The future of sports is "streaming" not TV

You say that at every website and offer no proof. The percentage number of smartphones in use between millennial and Gen Xers (up to 53 years old) is relatively close. So if each has the ability to use a smartphone, then why cant GenXers and Baby Boomers use one to access content. I call shenanigans on the BS that millennials are the only group we keep hearing are capable of that.

I must be the world`s oldest millennial because I haven`t had cable for most of my life and at my advanced age have figured how to stream since it became possible to do so. BTW I highly recommend Kodi.

[rdavies]

It was only a few years ago at his final state of the league address that Commish Cohon stated that half of the number of people watching games involving the Argos were from Ontario. At that time let's say the average game rated 650k, then at least 325k were from Ontario. Maybe that's dropped. maybe it hasn't. Needless to say whoever you believe and without seeing a rating book I don't know who to believe, although Cohon stated it in the form of a challenge to other sports (aside from hockey) that the CFL rated better. I don't think he was lying.

[rdavies]

So you agreed with the first eight words of my post, and ignored the rest. OK.

What would you like me to say? You want me to prove/disprove something? If there was anything worth responding to there I would have. Sorry if I didn't hold your post worthy of being on stone tablets.

[rdavies]

Rights holder TSN posted a 12 per cent increase in their Week 1 viewership numbers over 2017, despite the fact the season has been moved up by a week. The 2018 campaign kicked off on June 14 while last year’s regular season began on June 22.

The most-watched game of the week was Friday’s contest between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Toronto Argonauts at Mosaic Stadium in Regina with an average audience of 660,500 English-language viewers. That was followed closely by the Calgary Stampeders’ game with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which drew 651,700 on Saturday.

When I saw those numbers last week, I was surprised. I was not expecting them to be that good so early in the season. And coinciding with that, with the amount of cord cutting going on, those numbers were very encouraging.

[paulwoods13]

What would you like me to say? You want me to prove/disprove something? If there was anything worth responding to there I would have. Sorry if I didn't hold your post worthy of being on stone tablets.

Hey, if you aren't prepared to respond to points rebutting your post, that's your call.

[rdavies]

Hey, if you aren't prepared to respond to points rebutting your post, that's your call.

You had numbers? Specifics? The only thing you had was your opinion and you wouldn't agree with anything I'd say just on principle so sorry if I don't have the facility to debate ghost posts. I'll never be able to get to your level of irrelevant condescension but next time, for you, I'll give it the ol' college try. : )

[paulwoods13]

You had numbers? Specifics? The only thing you had was your opinion and you wouldn't agree with anything I'd say just on principle so sorry if I don't have the facility to debate ghost posts. I'll never be able to get to your level of irrelevant condescension but next time, for you, I'll give it the ol' college try. : )

You might be surprised.

[rdavies]

You might be surprised.

Surprise me, I'm more than happy to hear the truth. What I have a problem with is certain posters posting only the triumphs of TFC and only the failures of the Argos, the very definition of the dreaded T word.

[Wobbler]

If this thread is to continue, it needs to get back on topic. Right about now.

[Shatto]

The discussion here, seems to be about the popularity of the Argos/CFL as reflected through TV numbers as against the popularity of TFC/MLS, again as reflected through TV numbers. What we do know is the Argo/Sask game and the Ti-Cat/Stamps game both had an average audience of approximately 2/3 of a million. We can probably all agree those are pretty good numbers. I haven't seen the TV numbers for the last couple of TFC games (maybe somebody has those numbers) but based on last year's figures, somewhere between 40 thousand and 90 thousand could be expected. So we can safely agree that the two CFL games mentioned above, probably drew something like 10 times the number of the TFC audience.

As for streaming numbers, I have seen no evidence that the numbers are higher for TFC/MLS than Argos /CFL or visa versa. Until someone is able to provide those numbers, the discussion is really all conjecture. Personally, the young folks I know would stream Argo games not TFC games but that is because they follow Argos/CFL not TFC/MLS. That is very subjective and until there is firm objective evidence of the numbers being streamed we are all providing our own subjective opinions.

[R.J]

The discussion here, seems to be about the popularity of the Argos/CFL as reflected through TV numbers as against the popularity of TFC/MLS, again as reflected through TV numbers. What we do know is the Argo/Sask game and the Ti-Cat/Stamps game both had an average audience of approximately 2/3 of a million. We can probably all agree those are pretty good numbers. I haven't seen the TV numbers for the last couple of TFC games (maybe somebody has those numbers) but based on last year's figures, somewhere between 40 thousand and 90 thousand could be expected. So we can safely agree that the two CFL games mentioned above, probably drew something like 10 times the number of the TFC audience.

As for streaming numbers, I have seen no evidence that the numbers are higher for TFC/MLS than Argos /CFL or visa versa. Until someone is able to provide those numbers, the discussion is really all conjecture. Personally, the young folks I know would stream Argo games not TFC games but that is because they follow Argos/CFL not TFC/MLS. That is very subjective and until there is firm objective evidence of the numbers being streamed we are all providing our own subjective opinions.

This thread has become yet another thread where one member continually feels the need to be our Hero/Saviour. And a ban doesn't really work as his "alter ego" Argoknot will just reappear. Similar to how slimjim (aka Flutie) has shown up yet again.

[rdavies]

If this thread is to continue, it needs to get back on topic. Right about now.

Seriously, what is your problem with constantly closing threads? I can only get the sinister impression that you feel if the discussion doesn't go to your liking factually you want to close it. That makes me more paranoid than I already am.

This is contained in one thread topic, it's not "infecting" the whole board. I don't want to speak for Paul Woods but I suspect he wouldn't want discussion to stop and the thread to be closed either. So what, we got a little snarky for a minute, are people here so weak minded they have to be protected by closing a thread or is something else at work here?

[R.J]

That makes me more paranoid than I already am.

LMAO
At least you admit it.

[rdavies]

This thread has become yet another thread where one member continually feels the need to be our Hero/Saviour. And a ban doesn't really work as his "alter ego" Argoknot will just reappear. Similar to how slimjim (aka Flutie) has shown up yet again.

Easy solution, ban me and Flutie. And sorry, I don't try to be a hero/saviour to this holier than thou group who are above defending their slipping franchise. Argoknot?

[rdavies]

Similar to how slimjim (aka Flutie) has shown up yet again.

Funny how you defend that here but they wouldn't allow me to get past one post at their site. I haven't even tried, but others more agreeable than me got banned their after a handful of posts.

[rdavies]

At least you admit it.

I'm not a save the troll crusader like yourself, bad enough the media kicks you in the nuts but you allow it from within as well.