2023 Schedule

[OV Argo]

Perhaps Bell can do a little experiment this year to really grow viewership. Put the Sunday night games in the summer on CTV. Guarantee it will draw huge numbers more than any of the summer programming they usually have. That would be a great way to see how committed their partnership is with the league.

Bell/CTV have already demonstrated they are huge wannabes & all-american hype $uckers; they want nothing to do with the CFL and would love to see it fail and fold; So - can't see your idea happening.

[argofan81]

When this particular holiday falls on a weekend, the Monday is a statuary holiday, so yes it is a holiday Monday. It’s not like the civic holiday. It is observed as a holiday.

Not true. The statutory holiday is whatever day (whether it is a weekday or weekend day) July 1st falls on. Businesses that are usually open (think retail, etc.) are legally required to close on July 1st regardless of what day it falls on. Other businesses that aren't open on the day (such as offices that are open Monday - Friday) are required to give staff a substitute day off with pay but there is nothing that legally requires the day to be Monday. This is unlike say, Labour Day, when the holiday date is determined by 'the first Monday in September'.

[paulwoods13]

I'm sad that this sounds like accommodating US TV is more important than accommodating CFL fans.

The thing is, there is no potential source of revenue growth in sight, other than possible TV/streaming money from the U.S. The CFL is not going to get more franchises in Canada, and has maxed out TV/streaming revenue potential in Canada at least until the Bell/TSN contract expires in 2026 or whenever. The league is basically in a downward spiral, with attendance declining for several years and TV viewership steadily declining as well. If the league does not find new sources of revenue, how long can it survive? If it can get money from U.S. TV (or streaming) that it's not getting at the moment, shouldn't it try to do that? If this schedule drives so many fans away from attending games that the ticket-sales loss outweighs whatever gains the league makes on the TV/streaming side, it will have proven to be a mistake. But status quo isn't exactly working, either. I get that many (if not most) ticket buyers would like all games to be played on Friday nights and Saturdays (altho there appears to be a major difference of opinion on the merits of Saturday afternoon vs. evening), but TV provides a significant portion of league revenues, and it needs to maximize viewership potential. That means Thursdays in summer, and now it also means Sunday evenings in summer. Speaking only for myself, I expect to watch more games on TV next season than I did this year, when lots of games ended well past my bedtime, and there were lots of double/triple-headers requiring a six- to nine-hour commitment.

["Issues"Mcgee]

Blue Jays, Leafs and Raptors play weeknight games all the time. I don't see a weeknight game being an issue. Only for the excuse filled non true fans. In summer, I think a lot of people would prefer a weeknight, so they can get out of the city for the weekend.

Football is played once a week. In the case of Leafs vs the Argos, the cost of ticket prices alone suggests the Argos would have a more working class fanbase. A lot of people do not get time off in the summer.

Going to a game on a week night just sucks, especially if you live outside of the city.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

TSN isn't showing any MLS games in 2023, correct?

https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/mls-announces-new-multi-year-broadcast-agreement-with-tsn-1.1892629



It's just the linear broadcast rights.They don't produce the games themselves.

Apple takes the training wheels off in 2027.

The Saturday playoff games are going to be interesting.The league is really playing with fire with the potential scheduling playoff conflicts
with TFC/Vancouver. Wiggles 2.0 can't wait.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

Perhaps Bell can do a little experiment this year to really grow viewership. Put the Sunday night games in the summer on CTV. Guarantee it will draw huge numbers more than any of the summer programming they usually have. That would be a great way to see how committed their partnership is with the league.

Bell will not do that.They use the CFL audience to drive subscriptions for cable.They need the CFL audience to pay for the NFL/F1 contracts they just signed.
It's a one sided partnership.

[SkalbaniasGhost]

TSN prioritizes MLS over CFL? Your $hitting me, right? 50,000 viewers for MLS versus 5-10 times that number for CFL.

The MLS games are being produced by the league itself. It's now a money maker to sell advertising only.It's the priority.

It would be refreshing for a media outlet, traditional or otherwise to approach the CFL and say...you know what you guys pull alot of eyeballs to your product, and have an absolute goldmine with your title game here's what we can do for you. And we think that you have been neglected so badly, that with just a little attention we can double those numbers in a few years.

It's possible.

[Will]

Not true. The statutory holiday is whatever day (whether it is a weekday or weekend day) July 1st falls on. Businesses that are usually open (think retail, etc.) are legally required to close on July 1st regardless of what day it falls on. Other businesses that aren't open on the day (such as offices that are open Monday - Friday) are required to give staff a substitute day off with pay but there is nothing that legally requires the day to be Monday. This is unlike say, Labour Day, when the holiday date is determined by 'the first Monday in September'.

This occurred in 2017 when Canada Day was on a Sunday. Old employer made us select the Friday or Monday, and thus he could advertise to his clients that the office was still open Monday-Friday.

[jerrym]

The league is basically in a downward spiral, with attendance declining for several years and TV viewership steadily declining as well.

Not exactly true.
2019 pre-Covid attendance numbers League Average 22,916.8 Toronto 12,493.1https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2019/
2021 CFL attendance numbers 19,058.3 Toronto 8,603.3 https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2021/
CFL 2022 average attendance is up 2,686.3 over 2021 at 21,744.6 Toronto 11,875.7 a gain of +3,272.4https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2022/

CFL average attendance is down since pre-Covid 2019 it has climbed back roughly 69.6% and the Argos 88.9% of the way from the decrease in 2021 compared to the 2019 pre-Covid average attendance . Certainly there is a lot the CFL and the Argos need to do to increase attendance and revenue, but they have at least started moving in the right direction, even if the 2021 season numbers were still being affected in a major way by the pandemic.

[AngeloV]

Not true. The statutory holiday is whatever day (whether it is a weekday or weekend day) July 1st falls on. Businesses that are usually open (think retail, etc.) are legally required to close on July 1st regardless of what day it falls on. Other businesses that aren't open on the day (such as offices that are open Monday - Friday) are required to give staff a substitute day off with pay but there is nothing that legally requires the day to be Monday. This is unlike say, Labour Day, when the holiday date is determined by 'the first Monday in September'.

OK. I am thinking most people are off that day. Retail being the exception.

[AngeloV]

https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/mls-announces-new-multi-year-broadcast-agreement-with-tsn-1.1892629



It's just the linear broadcast rights.They don't produce the games themselves.

Apple takes the training wheels off in 2027.

The Saturday playoff games are going to be interesting.The league is really playing with fire with the potential scheduling playoff conflicts
with TFC/Vancouver. Wiggles 2.0 can't wait.

Western semi final and final also goes head to head with HNIC. I don't see a TV ratings bonanza for those games.

[paulwoods13]

Not exactly true.
2019 pre-Covid attendance numbers League Average 22,916.8 Toronto 12,493.1https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2019/
2021 CFL attendance numbers 19,058.3 Toronto 8,603.3 https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2021/
CFL 2022 average attendance is up 2,686.3 over 2021 at 21,744.6 Toronto 11,875.7 a gain of +3,272.4https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2022/

CFL average attendance is down since pre-Covid 2019 it has climbed back roughly 69.6% and the Argos 88.9% of the way from the decrease in 2021 compared to the 2019 pre-Covid average attendance . Certainly there is a lot the CFL and the Argos need to do to increase attendance and revenue, but they have at least started moving in the right direction, even if the 2021 season numbers were still being affected in a major way by the pandemic.

Covid year was a trough, and it's good that attendance rose in 2022. But I'm talking about a longer term than three years. This site suggests attendance has been basically declining or flat since 2005: https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/

[Argo57]

The good news is that all home games are on the weekend (Friday-Sunday + a holiday Monday). But Sunday and holiday Monday games at night IMO are stupid. With the next day being a work day for most, I don't see how this is any better than a Thursday night home game (which I couldn't stand).

Sunday night games make no sense which is why nobody should be shocked that the CFL has chosen this path.

[Rich]

Naylor being a TSN employee will never admit that TSN calls the shots here. US tv IMO is BS. Unless they plan on expanding to the US again, US tv money will never be enough to justify catering to them.

I’m not so sure. I think there’s growth possible there.

I’d be willing to bet that more Americans than Canadians appreciate the the high quality of CFL players. Anyone who follows college ball closely — like millions of Americans and very few Canadians do — understands the large numbers of very good football players that get churned out of the system every year, many of whom end up in the CFL.

I think the biggest thing holding back bigger CFL audience numbers in the States is the low quality of the TSN broadcasts.

[ArgoRavi]

I’m not so sure. I think there’s growth possible there.

I’d be willing to bet that more Americans than Canadians appreciate the the high quality of CFL players. Anyone who follows college ball closely — like millions of Americans and very few Canadians do — understands the large numbers of very good football players that get churned out of the system every year, many of whom end up in the CFL.

I think the biggest thing holding back bigger CFL audience numbers in the States is the low quality of the TSN broadcasts.

Back in the 1980s, ESPN would do their own production of post-season CFL games, including using their own commentators. When ESPN Classics shows the 1981 Grey Cup, they always show the ESPN version with Don Chevrier, Paul Maguire, and Tom Mees as the commentators. I believe that even as recently as 1996, ESPN did their own production of CFL regular season games. One of the last live sports events Mees covered before his untimely death was a CFL game between Ottawa and Toronto at SkyDome that season.

Perhaps ESPN should get back to doing that although I realize that they have to do the cost-benefits analysis of such a move.

[paulwoods13]

Sunday night games make no sense which is why nobody should be shocked that the CFL has chosen this path.

I'd have to go back and check, but I think the handful of Sunday night games this past season got good ratings. IMO the league is probably looking to get another "appointment viewing" slot, and Sunday evenings have a decent chance of that working in summer. Sunday night in summer has a better chance of attracting viewers in the Eastern time zone than Saturday afternoon or late-night games on any day, IMO.

[Argo57]

I'd have to go back and check, but I think the handful of Sunday night games this past season got good ratings. IMO the league is probably looking to get another "appointment viewing" slot, and Sunday evenings have a decent chance of that working in summer. Sunday night in summer has a better chance of attracting viewers in the Eastern time zone than Saturday afternoon or late-night games on any day, IMO.

Strictly speaking from a convenience point of view, Sunday night game, over an hour commute home heading into a full week of work isn’t ideal TBH.

[Scooter McCray]

Strictly speaking from a convenience point of view, Sunday night game, over an hour commute home heading into a full week of work isn’t ideal TBH.

I have a feeling TV numbers will be good nationally and locally for Sunday night summer games. If you're away, at cottage or just at home what a great way to end and begin your summer week. Your outdoor stuff is all done, and your winding down. TSN has a shot at making this appointment TV like when they created Friday night football. If they could put it on CTV, they could pull in great numbers. As far as attendance if the teams themselves thought up creative ways to make their own Sunday night games as appointment attendance, create events and special tailgating, concerts etc...they can drive attendance. The great thing about football is there are only 9 home games. Honestly each game can be made an event. They are spaced out over 5 months. All of the other sports play way more games and have to play on weeknights, and nobody complains about that or makes excuses to stay away. Fans just need to be invited to come back, and if the team can be perennially competitive and a contender (in Torontos case is required) than it can be done.

[Argo57]

I have a feeling TV numbers will be good nationally and locally for Sunday night summer games. If you're away, at cottage or just at home what a great way to end and begin your summer week. Your outdoor stuff is all done, and your winding down. TSN has a shot at making this appointment TV like when they created Friday night football. If they could put it on CTV, they could pull in great numbers. As far as attendance if the teams themselves thought up creative ways to make their own Sunday night games as appointment attendance, create events and special tailgating, concerts etc...they can drive attendance. The great thing about football is there are only 9 home games. Honestly each game can be made an event. They are spaced out over 5 months. All of the other sports play way more games and have to play on weeknights, and nobody complains about that or makes excuses to stay away. Fans just need to be invited to come back, and if the team can be perennially competitive and a contender (in Torontos case is required) than it can be done.

Most cottage owners will be driving home when the game is being played.

[Scooter McCray]

There are 2 Sunday night home games and the 1 game on the holiday Monday night (this is the odd one) of Canada Day Weekend. Out of 15 summer weekends from Victoria Day Weekend to Labour Day weekend. This should not be a big deal.