2021 CFL and Argo Attendance

[AngeloV]

The Argonauts must keep some sort of database of former season ticket holders and single-game ticket purchasers.

Are there follow ups done with these individuals?

That’s asking a lot of the 2 ticket reps they have. Hopefully they will do this when things look better regarding the pandemic and they bring back some bodies from the staff they let go. Let’s face it, Argos are being run bare bones in the back office right now.

[RB957]

The Argonauts must keep some sort of database of former season ticket holders and single-game ticket purchasers.

Are there follow ups done with these individuals?

That’s asking a lot of the 2 ticket reps they have. Hopefully they will do this when things look better regarding the pandemic and they bring back some bodies from the staff they let go. Let’s face it, Argos are being run bare bones in the back office right now.

My son's friend worked at MLSE and said they tried to interest season's ticket holders for Leafs/Raptors into purchasing Argos tickets, with very little success. I agree with Will that they should be trying to mine the data they have on ticket buyers but to Angelo's point, it is very difficult with limited staff. Bottom line, you have to spend on marketing and I am not sure how committed MLSE is. For me, the focus should be trying to attract people based on the value proposition... where else can you watch high quality live professional sports for less than $50 per ticket AND get $5 beer? Nowhere. And the weird thing is, we have brought numerous people out, including my son's friends who are in the 25 - 30 year demographic, and every single one of them have said they had a great time... BUT they don't take the initiative or have the interest to come back on their own. This I cannot understand. In a region our size, it has to be possible to attract 20,000 people to become Argo "nutcases".

The Argos will never be able to compete with the Leafs, Jays and Raptors which are considered to be the "elite" sports teams. But TFC was able to attract a very passionate and loyal following for its team. Argos have to figure out how to do the same. Look at Ottawa, where the RedBlacks have managed to attract interest in younger people to come out to games. No reason we can't try to copy things that have worked elsewhere. It will take effort and money, which I hope MLSE is willing to commit. And sad thing, having bought tickets to see the Argos in both Montreal and Ottawa, I get way more emails from them then I ever get from the Argos. And that's not right.

In the long-term, assuming MLSE has the willingness to stay in, the economics have to favour the Argos over TFC. TFC's biggest expense is in $U.S. and their salary budget is over 5x what the Argos is but their TV viewership is brutal. As others have said, now that expansion fees are drying up, reality will sink in regarding that league's economics. I don't think it is a lost cause for the Argos, but while the ship hasn't sunk, it is taking on water.

Now that the Ontario government has lifted seat restrictions at sports venues, we may get a glimpse as to how things really are.

[paulwoods13]

In the long-term, assuming MLSE has the willingness to stay in, the economics have to favour the Argos over TFC. TFC's biggest expense is in $U.S. and their salary budget is over 5x what the Argos is but their TV viewership is brutal. As others have said, now that expansion fees are drying up, reality will sink in regarding that league's economics.

People have been saying that for a long time. Last I heard, TFC was valued (by Forbes, I think it was) at $650M. It cost MLSE $10M for the franchise. Perhaps the MLS bubble will burst one of these days, but in view of how much bigger international soccer seems to be getting every year in North America, I'm not counting on that.

[ArgoRavi]

People have been saying that for a long time. Last I heard, TFC was valued (by Forbes, I think it was) at $650M. It cost MLSE $10M for the franchise. Perhaps the MLS bubble will burst one of these days, but in view of how much bigger international soccer seems to be getting every year in North America, I'm not counting on that.

The MLS is bearing more and more of a resemblance to the NASL all the time in regards to their over-expansion.

I am a little skeptical about the Forbes valuations but it would be interesting to see how much TFC could fetch on the open market. I suspect the franchise has more value in the US than in Canada though.

[AngeloV]

The MLS is bearing more and more of a resemblance to the NASL all the time in regards to their over-expansion.

I am a little skeptical about the Forbes valuations but it would be interesting to see how much TFC could fetch on the open market. I suspect the franchise has more value in the US than in Canada though.

I’m skeptical too. Forbes, values the Leafs, a licence to print money, at 1.5B. There is no way TFC should be valued anywhere near 40% of what the Leafs are valued at. Forbes obviously is taking expansion fee sharing into account. When that’s gone will the value go down? I suspect it will big time

[Neely2005]

My son's friend worked at MLSE and said they tried to interest season's ticket holders for Leafs/Raptors into purchasing Argos tickets, with very little success. I agree with Will that they should be trying to mine the data they have on ticket buyers but to Angelo's point, it is very difficult with limited staff. Bottom line, you have to spend on marketing and I am not sure how committed MLSE is. For me, the focus should be trying to attract people based on the value proposition... where else can you watch high quality live professional sports for less than $50 per ticket AND get $5 beer? Nowhere. And the weird thing is, we have brought numerous people out, including my son's friends who are in the 25 - 30 year demographic, and every single one of them have said they had a great time... BUT they don't take the initiative or have the interest to come back on their own. This I cannot understand. In a region our size, it has to be possible to attract 20,000 people to become Argo "nutcases".

The Argos will never be able to compete with the Leafs, Jays and Raptors which are considered to be the "elite" sports teams. But TFC was able to attract a very passionate and loyal following for its team. Argos have to figure out how to do the same. Look at Ottawa, where the RedBlacks have managed to attract interest in younger people to come out to games. No reason we can't try to copy things that have worked elsewhere. It will take effort and money, which I hope MLSE is willing to commit. And sad thing, having bought tickets to see the Argos in both Montreal and Ottawa, I get way more emails from them then I ever get from the Argos. And that's not right.

In the long-term, assuming MLSE has the willingness to stay in, the economics have to favour the Argos over TFC. TFC's biggest expense is in $U.S. and their salary budget is over 5x what the Argos is but their TV viewership is brutal. As others have said, now that expansion fees are drying up, reality will sink in regarding that league's economics. I don't think it is a lost cause for the Argos, but while the ship hasn't sunk, it is taking on water.

Now that the Ontario government has lifted seat restrictions at sports venues, we may get a glimpse as to how things really are.

One thing to remember is that TFC plays more games so that gives them more opportunities to sell tickets and concessions.