CFL may move playoff games to Saturday this season

[Neely2005]

They tried this before and the ratings went down:

https://3downnation.com/2019/02/25/c...y-this-season/

[AngeloV]

Just my opinion, it would be a dumb idea. If they play the games at 1 and 4, they lose viewership due to the fact that a lot of people work on Saturdays. If they go prime time, the late game would be up against hockey.

[argonaut11xx]

Why not play 1 game on Saturday, 1 game on Sunday for both the semi's and finals.

Then they can compare the numbers honestly

[gilthethrill]

Commissioner Ambrosie has made some smart moves for the CFL. Moving playoff games to Saturdays is not one of them.

[Mightygoose]

Though I prefer Sundays, I'm not opposed if they try it. Saturday afternoon won't go up against the prominent HNIC slot.

If it doesn't work, no reason why they can't go back.

[paulwoods13]

I've long wished they would play the Eastern game on Friday night, which would mean they'd need to do the western game on Saturday afternoon. The Argo-Hamilton playoff game moved to Friday in 2004 because of the Wiggles concert had a tremendous atmosphere. FNF is the broadcaster's signature program, so why lose it at the end of the season? To make it work they would likely have to end the regular season with one game on Thursday, two on Friday and one on Saturday afternoon, so that the last two teams playing get a decent period of time to prepare for the semifinal if one of them is in it.

[Will]

I've long wished they would play the Eastern game on Friday night, which would mean they'd need to do the western game on Saturday afternoon. The Argo-Hamilton playoff game moved to Friday in 2004 because of the Wiggles concert had a tremendous atmosphere. FNF is the broadcaster's signature program, so why lose it at the end of the season? To make it work they would likely have to end the regular season with one game on Thursday, two on Friday and one on Saturday afternoon, so that the last two teams playing get a decent period of time to prepare for the semifinal if one of them is in it.

I was thinking a variation of the 'flex game' that the NFL does, but with the CFL playing on different days this might not be possible.

[argotom]

This is a bad move.
Again the league for some strange reason is capitulating to what appears to be TSN driving this change.

[paulwoods13]

For some strange reason? Or maybe 40 million reasons?

[gilthethrill]

This won't be good for CIS Football playoffs if the CFL moves their games to Saturdays.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

This is a bad move.
Again the league for some strange reason is capitulating to what appears to be TSN driving this change.

Shadow ownership.

This won't be good for CIS Football playoffs if the CFL moves their games to Saturdays.

USports is more dysfunctional than the CFL.They are following the same trajectory but at a faster rate.

[gilthethrill]

Shadow ownership.


USports is more dysfunctional than the CFL.They are following the same trajectory but at a faster rate.

I am unsure what your statement means as I am sure you know more about CIS workings than I. Really enjoy making it to a nearby CIS playoff game each fall then watching CFL post season on Sundays.

[Argonut1996]

Not a fan of this change. Back In the day I used to work and missed the games. I don't give a damn if the NFL plays Sunday, I don't watch it anyway.

[argotom]

Not a fan of this change. Back In the day I used to work and missed the games. I don't give a damn if the NFL plays Sunday, I don't watch it anyway.

Precisely 100% bang on.

[john]

i like this change - compete less w/ NFL
also daylight hour games are good - it would good for grey cup too to help avoid bad weather / field conditions

i keep saying that the grey cup needs to be played BEFORE time change to again avoid bad weather and play most of game in daylight
4 pm local time for kickoff especially in open air stadiums !

[argolio]

Time change happens first Sunday in November, which means the Grey Cup would have to move to October. Zero chance that ever happens. The reality today is that broadcasting entities have a huge say in scheduling, and I bet it was like pulling teeth for Ambrosie to get TSN/Bell to agree to move it back by just a week.

[R.J]

Time change happens first Sunday in November, which means the Grey Cup would have to move to October. Zero chance that ever happens. The reality today is that broadcasting entities have a huge say in scheduling, and I bet it was like pulling teeth for Ambrosie to get TSN/Bell to agree to move it back by just a week.

Ambrosie has stated that he'd love to see the Grey Cup on the last weekend of October.

[john]

Time change happens first Sunday in November, which means the Grey Cup would have to move to October. Zero chance that ever happens. The reality today is that broadcasting entities have a huge say in scheduling, and I bet it was like pulling teeth for Ambrosie to get TSN/Bell to agree to move it back by just a week.

eliminating the bye weeks would let the grey cup be played much earlier
if cdl is destined to play gc in outdoor stadiums, then have a shot at decent weather - last 2 gc have had horrible field conditions
also playing those games on sat means cfl only has to deal w/ u.s. college football and I would guess that if u're gonna watch usa college football u probably were never gonna watch cfl
move all games to sat/sun afternoon before nfl starts - afterwards, have 2 x eastern games @ 1 pm et , 4 pm et, a western game @ 7pm et on sat - other western game can be played fri nite 6pm et
no conflict w/ nfl
just thinking out loud

[argolio]

Ambrosie has stated that he'd love to see the Grey Cup on the last weekend of October.

I say it'll never happen.

[CFLfan]

Not a fan of this change. Back In the day I used to work and missed the games. I don't give a damn if the NFL plays Sunday, I don't watch it anyway.

But it's not about what you like, the fact is that the NFL ratings have doubled in the past 5 years and the CFL ratings have stagnated.
TSN can get good ratings for the CFL playoffs on Saturday AND they can carry an NFL game on TSN and another one on CTV and get great ratings.
Right now TSN has nothing on Saturdays in November and now can get pretty good ratings for the Saturday CFL playoffs and the Sunday NFL games, makes sense.