2018 CFL TV Ratings

[jerrym]

The CFL TV ratings show the Argos up 20.2% from last year at 548,000 viewers, but the results are somewhat skewed by Toronto having already played the Riders, the most popular team, during their first four games. The Riders have the largest viewership at 652,000 while Hamilton is second and the Argos are third. Edmonton at Toronto pulled in 477,900. CFL year-to-date ratings are up 5%.

http://3downnation.com/2018/07/12/cf...assive-number/

[ArgoRavi]

The CFL TV ratings show the Argos up 20.2% from last year at 548,000 viewers, but the results are somewhat skewed by Toronto having already played the Riders, the most popular team, during their first four games. The Riders have the largest viewership at 652,000 while Hamilton is second and the Argos are third. Edmonton at Toronto pulled in 477,900. CFL year-to-date ratings are up 5%.

http://3downnation.com/2018/07/12/cf...assive-number/

What is especially amazing is that ratings are up, despite the fact that we have seen far fewer close games so far this season.

[jerrym]

CFL Ratings for Week 5 were down thanks to a poor showing by Ottawa. Compared to Week 5 of 2017 the numbers were also misleading because the decrease of 9.8% was largely due to three games being played this year as opposed to five last year because of the extra bye week in the schedule.

Thursday’s match up between Calgary and Ottawa posted an audience of just 278,000, easily the lowest-rated game of the season and the poorest showing since a Week 13 game last September.
That contest – which drew a paltry 190,000 viewers on TSN – also featured the Redblacks who were in Montreal to face the Alouettes. In fact, when we looked at TV ratings for the 2017 season last week, one thing that stood out were the surprisingly low numbers for the Ottawa Redblacks whose 434,400 average audience was the second-lowest in the CFL (trailing only Montreal, whose numbers don’t include French-language RDS.)
That trend has continued into 2018: the Redblacks currently have the lowest average TV audience in the CFL with just 415,375 viewers (Montreal is next at 494,725.) And despite a tough week, the league’s overall numbers are up more than three per cent while Ottawa’s numbers are down almost 4.5 per cent.

Now, the game was a blowout – Calgary won 27-3 – so that was likely a contributing factor and, as we showed a couple of weeks ago, Thursday games typically perform worse than games on Fridays at Saturdays. ...


Comparing numbers on a week-to-week basis is also a challenge: in 2017, there were five games on the slate while the addition of a third bye week this season means there were just three on the schedule in 2018. Average viewership for Week 5 was down almost 10 per cent year-over-year.
Week 5 ratings
Thursday
Calgary at Ottawa: 278,000
Friday
Toronto at Edmonton: 517,500
Saturday
Winnipeg at B.C.: 499,000
Week 5, 2018 (three games) vs 2017 (five games): -9.8 per cent
Year-to-date vs 2017: +3.3 per cent

http://www.3downnation.com/2018/07/1...ag-whole-week/

[jerrym]

After the first four weeks the Argos were third in viewers and up 20.2% from 2017, and during the fourth week, they were outdrawn only by the league leading Riders. With Riders not playing in Week five, the Argo Edmonton game led with 517,500 viewers. Who are all these invisible viewers?

[Joe Barnes]

After the first four weeks the Argos were third in viewers and up 20.2% from 2017, and during the fourth week, they were outdrawn only by the league leading Riders. With Riders not playing in Week five, the Argo Edmonton game led with 517,500 viewers. Who are all these invisible viewers?

Pink Floyd once asked "Is there anybody out there?" One could not blame the Argos for asking the same question. Yet, according to the ratings (again!), the answer is yes...If even a small number of these 'invisible viewers' attended the games, there would be no attendance problem!

[jerrym]

Week 6 ratings showed the Argos game was the least watched of the four games with 421,200 viewers.

Live mic games are 11% below the overall average. Social media response to the live mic have been mixed but this may be because the Riders, the most popular team, have not been involved in a live mic game.

The first four live mic games have averaged 456,000 viewers on TSN, almost 11 per cent worse than the overall average of 511,000. ...

Overall, Week 6 ratings were down five per cent from 2017 with an average audience of 515,900. The numbers are still up two per cent overall on the season but after a strong start that saw TSN post gains in three of the first four weeks, rating are down in each of the last two.

Week 6 ratings
Thursday
Saskatchewan at Hamilton: 689,300

Friday
B.C. at Ottawa: 500,200

Saturday
Winnipeg at Toronto: 421,200

Montreal at Calgary: 452,900

Week 6, 2018 vs 2017: -4.9 per cent
Year-to-date vs 2017: +1.9 per cent

http://3downnation.com/2018/07/25/cf...-provide-bump/

[Neely2005]

After the first four weeks the Argos were third in viewers and up 20.2% from 2017, and during the fourth week, they were outdrawn only by the league leading Riders. With Riders not playing in Week five, the Argo Edmonton game led with 517,500 viewers. Who are all these invisible viewers?

A lot of Argonauts fans just don't want to get of their couch. A lot of Argonauts fans don't want to drive downtown and if you aren't close to the Lakeshore GO Line taking transit to BMO Field isn't easy or quick.

[AngeloV]

A lot of Argonauts fans just don't want to get of their couch. A lot of Argonauts fans don't want to drive downtown and if you aren't close to the Lakeshore GO Line taking transit to BMO Field isn't easy or quick.

I remember back in the 80's, the TTC used to have special chartered busses from various malls or plazas going to the EX on game day. I guess they think the demand these days would not justify it, but I wonder if that would help? Golden Mile at VP and Eglinton is the one I most remember.

[Will]

I believe that the HSR in Hamilton offers complimentary trips for those who have game tickets. I think OC Transpo might do the same.

Would some sort of agreement with the TTC or GO Transit help?

[Scooter McCray]

How come there were 32,000 at Skydome for a 4 pm start to watch the BJ's get swept yet again by a team beneath them in the standings? Not that the Argos to this point are playing compelling home football but I don't get that. That game took 4.5 hrs to play and must have been excruciating to watch with all the pitching changes etc...

[PullTogether73]

How come there were 32,000 at Skydome for a 4 pm start to watch the BJ's get swept yet again by a team beneath them in the standings? Not that the Argos to this point are playing compelling home football but I don't get that. That game took 4.5 hrs to play and must have been excruciating to watch with all the pitching changes etc...

Baseball is excruciating to watch at the best of times.

[AngeloV]

How come there were 32,000 at Skydome for a 4 pm start to watch the BJ's get swept yet again by a team beneath them in the standings? Not that the Argos to this point are playing compelling home football but I don't get that. That game took 4.5 hrs to play and must have been excruciating to watch with all the pitching changes etc...

Other than the "Big League" perception that dominates the minds of so many Torontonians, I don't get it either.

Baseball is excruciating to watch at the best of times.

I played baseball as well as football right through high school. As soon as I stopped playing baseball, I had very little interest in it, so I tend to agree.

[paulwoods13]

Part of the reason Blue Jays draw well (altho well below 2 years ago) is the fact that for some reason, Jays games became known as a fun place for young people to get drunk. When I've been to Jays games and sat somewhere other than 100-level infield (which is mostly filled with true baseball fans), lots of people around me were not even following the game but were just there to get looped.

[AngeloV]

Part of the reason Blue Jays draw well (altho well below 2 years ago) is the fact that for some reason, Jays games became known as a fun place for young people to get drunk. When I've been to Jays games and sat somewhere other than 100-level infield (which is mostly filled with true baseball fans), lots of people around me were not even following the game but were just there to get looped.

Makes no sense to me why someone would want to overpay just to get drunk, unless of course, there are a good portion of underagers buying beer in the stadium. I believe on 2 separate occasions, the stadium had a temporary license suspension for serving alcohol to underagers, so you would hope that isn't what's happening.

[Will]

Part of the reason Blue Jays draw well (altho well below 2 years ago) is the fact that for some reason, Jays games became known as a fun place for young people to get drunk. When I've been to Jays games and sat somewhere other than 100-level infield (which is mostly filled with true baseball fans), lots of people around me were not even following the game but were just there to get looped.

That patio out in CF seems to be quite popular.

Plus, people my age were 5 or 6 when the Jays won the World Series. They got us then and we are now in the positions of having disposable income.

[Godfather]

Baseball is excruciating to watch at the best of times.

Yes. I am amazed at how many people pay to attend these baseball games that are just so slow.

[argotom]

Yes. I am amazed at how many people pay to attend these baseball games that are just so slow.

Yes there is no account for taste by the vast majority of these wannabe Americans.

[ArgoRavi]

Yes. I am amazed at how many people pay to attend these baseball games that are just so slow.

What I find particularly baffling is that the Jays are getting crowds of 32k and 39k to watch meaningless games. Both the Jays and their past two opponents, the Orioles and Twins, are all but eliminated from playoff contention already.

For whatever the reason though, Jays games are still considered to be a "place to be". I doubt that many of the people at the games even realize how bad the Jays are this year and how they will probably be a lousy team for some time yet.

[Argo57]

What I find particularly baffling is that the Jays are getting crowds of 32k and 39k to watch meaningless games. Both the Jays and their past two opponents, the Orioles and Twins, are all but eliminated from playoff contention already.

For whatever the reason though, Jays games are still considered to be a "place to be". I doubt that many of the people at the games even realize how bad the Jays are this year and how they will probably be a lousy team for some time yet.

This won’t last forever Ravi.

[Shatto]

When one examines recent Argo attendance history, there are a couple of almost unexplainable conundrums:
1)In the last 2 years at Skydome, the attendance at regular season and playoff games was better than it has been at BMO. Almost 18,000 (2014) and 16,640 (2015) and the 2015 schedule imposed on the team by Rogers was almost criminal.
2)In spite of everything the attendance at last year's playoff game at BMO was just shy of 25,000

Both of the above indicate there is the potential to draw bigger crowds. The interest must be there or how else can one explain the attendance in the 2 years prior to moving to BMO and the almost 25,000 that turned up Nov 19th of last year.

For #1) --it could be a number of factors---a)regardless of weather a fans would be assured of a comfortable, dry, warm environment at the Dome-- b)Skydome is easier for most to get to by public transportation-- c)parking was easier at Skydome than CNE especially during the exhibition and the Indy--d)because of the uncertainty of weather conditions perhaps some decided not to buy ST's but buy tickets when the weather was good and we all know what that leads to--e)the fiasco of the overpricing of the Grey Cup tickets may well have turned people off--f)could people feel that the team and its fans are still second class citizens at BMO; the condition of the North end zone playing surface suggests that

For #2) there was a buzz/a level of excitement attached to the team. For those who were there at the tailgate you could sense the excitement by the size of the crowd and the general atmosphere. So is it not possible that if the team can reproduce that buzz/excitement, we could see similar size crowds at the games?

All of the above is conjecture and educated guesswork but there is no denying that the attendance potential is there and now management has to determine how to attract potential fans to the game. There is probably no one magic bullet but rather a number and/or combination of ideas and approaches that may have to be explored. Personally I still of the opinion that tailgating could well be one of those attractions if advertised well and allowed to grow.