21,000 is great but...

[OV Argo]

TSN is paying 15M for MLS TV rights in Canada!!! 15M for a league that practically nobody watches on TV---What? Haven't been able to find the Canadian TV ratings for MLS this year but if previous years were any indication, it drew about 1/10 of the average CFL game. This only demonstrates TSN is paying drastically below what they should be paying --the 50M contact should be at least doubled.

If a minor soccer league like MLS can warrant 15m then the CFL certainly deserves far more than 50M.

Yep; the CFL is getting ripped-off, brutally, in the amount of TV dollars they get for the TV viewers they bring in.

Not much can be done I guess though, if CFL leadership and negotiators are unable to drive a better deal with the bean-counters in media wannabe land at contract time - who are willing to over-pay by laughable amounts for MLS soccer that draws flies in comparison. The bean-counters will of course be able to rationalize/ make excuses for the disparity.

I think there are still a few more years to go on the current CFL - TSN TV contract (?) - so, CFL fans will have to put up with the continued weak presentation (some bad commentators, really bad camera work/ direction at times) and limited exposure (games available on various TSN feeds with no consistency) while the casual TV viewer gets to choose 15 or so feeds of NFL games on National TV up here. But the bean-counters know this is right as they can use limited TSN availability to sell more TSN package subscriptions.

Hopefully, Randy Ambrosia will be gone soon, and maybe the CFL hires some new leadership with some much sharper marketing and negotiating skills for next TV contract time; OR, maybe the CFL will be SOL and nobody will want to broadcast their games in their own country - the bean-counters will of course be right, if this comes to pass.

[Topshelf]

TSN could improve their overall coverage. I dont need to see the same episode of sportscentre 10 times a day.
Could be worse. The CBC coverage of the Vanier Cup was ugly. TSN does a great job with Curling. But just cant figure out how to produce CFL. Let alone try USports, JR Hockey (aside from world juniors, how bout a game of the week matinee). Espn shows friggin cornhole. So it isnt a big ask.

[argolio]

If the small MLS ratings are comparable to the CFL's in the key 25-54 demographic, that can justify what they are paying for MLS rights when compared to the CFL's.

Can't be stressed enough the importance of that demographic, for both advertisers and broadcasters.

[shayman]

I don't think there were any other bidders for the CFL the last few times the deal came up for renewal.

Didn't CBC complain the last time around that they weren't even given the opportunity to bid, that the league negotiated only with TSN? I swear I heard that from someone at CBC.

[ArgoRavi]

Didn't CBC complain the last time around that they weren't even given the opportunity to bid, that the league negotiated only with TSN? I swear I heard that from someone at CBC.

I know that was the case back in 2007 when CBC carried games for the final time after a remarkably long run.

[AngeloV]

CBC wasn't always a great partner to the league. I forget the year, but I remember there was one season, where they didn't start to carry games until Labour Day.

[Mocha]

CBC wasn't always a great partner to the league. I forget the year, but I remember there was one season, where they didn't start to carry games until Labour Day.

As I recall, it wasn't just one season; it was many seasons. If memory serves correctly, I believe it was Chris Cuthbert who took them to task on air for it and they changed their coverage the following season. I'm thinking that was somewhere around the turn of the century.

[paulwoods13]

CBC surrendered CFL rights in 2007, Raptors and MLS rights in 2010, Blue Jays in 2008 and Hockey Night in Canada in 2014. They also no longer have the Queen's Plate, international tennis, major figure skating and major curling. It seems hard to imagine that they would have ever put in a serious bid for CFL rights after 2007, although officially they did not stop bidding for all pro sports until 2014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBC_Sports

[OV Argo]

CBC surrendered CFL rights in 2007, Raptors and MLS rights in 2010, Blue Jays in 2008 and Hockey Night in Canada in 2014. They also no longer have the Queen's Plate, international tennis, major figure skating and major curling. It seems hard to imagine that they would have ever put in a serious bid for CFL rights after 2007, although officially they did not stop bidding for all pro sports until 2014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBC_Sports

Wonder why they bothered to broadcast this year's Vanier Cup (and stream some other play-off games on CBC Gem ?), with more U Sports (not just football) to come in the future? Somebody there was bored or they were all of a sudden desperate for some sports content ? Or is that just amateur sports they would be interested in ?

IMO - broadcasting a CFL game of the week, plus showing U Sports football, would show real leadership in and commitment to a historic, important Canadian sport; if the CBC really cares about Canadian so-called culture.

[ArgoGabe22]

Wonder why they bothered to broadcast this year's Vanier Cup (and stream some other play-off games on CBC Gem ?), with more U Sports (not just football) to come in the future? Somebody there was bored or they were all of a sudden desperate for some sports content ? Or is that just amateur sports they would be interested in ?

IMO - broadcasting a CFL game of the week, plus showing U Sports football, would show real leadership in and commitment to a historic, important Canadian sport; if the CBC really cares about Canadian so-called culture.

The CBC sucks. Their numbers are tanking the last I saw.

[Will]

CBC wasn't always a great partner to the league. I forget the year, but I remember there was one season, where they didn't start to carry games until Labour Day.

I believe that this was the case for several seasons. I don't know when it started, but I know that it was over by 2004 because I can recall watching the Argos play against Hamilton on CBC on a Saturday night.

[Will]

I got to say, however, that watching old CFL games that it doesn't get better than the CFL on CBC with Don Wittman on PBP and Ron Lancaster on Colour Commentary.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

The CBC sucks. Their numbers are tanking the last I saw.

The numbers for all Linear Cable/OTA are tanking.It's not just in Canada.The Buffalo Big-4 broadcast affiliates are losing audience share monthly.
The audience is quite fractured with other options.CBC is well positioned for the transition that's taking place right now.

[ArgoRavi]

I got to say, however, that watching old CFL games that it doesn't get better than the CFL on CBC with Don Wittman on PBP and Ron Lancaster on Colour Commentary.

Throw Leo Cahill into the mix and it was perfect.

[bannedforlife]

CBC is well positioned for the transition that's taking place right now.

Strangely, they are. I use a CBC Sports app for Kodi that is fantastic. Getting free and legal sports over streaming is damn near impossible unless you like MMA, poker and lower level soccer. The CBC Sports app has a wide range of world championship grade sports. Skiing, skating (speed and figure), swimming, track, it has it all.