2023 Argos and CFL Attendance

[jerrym]

It's early in the season and a lot can change but there are some good signs attendance wise for the Argos and the CFL through two weeks of action. By clicking on the two urls below and then the dots on each week of the line, I was able to get both the Argos and the CFL's average attendance after two weeks. After two weeks the average attendance for the CFL was up 3.4%. Argo attendance at 15,967 for its first game is up 27.76% from 2022, because the first game this year was against the Tiger Cats, which meant there were a lot of Hamilton fans in the stands that boosted attendance.

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2023/

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2022/

https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/toronto-argonauts/2022/

[Will]

Except there really weren't many Ticat fans in attendance.

[TrueBlueGuy]

and somewhat surprisingly the ones who WERE here behaved better than usual, I thought. Guess that what happens when you are behind all game long.

[jerrym]

Argo attendance is up 19.7% while CFL attendance is up 4.6% so far this year.

https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/toronto-...tendance/2022/

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2022/

https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/attendance/2023/

[TrueBlueGuy]

nice Argo victory out east, and SPEAKING OF ATTENDANCE, who is watching the Elks-Lions tonite...Elks going for consecutive loss #21. Look at the crowd in Edmonton. However, to be honest, as a long-time STH, I have to ask myself, how many consecutive home-field losses would it take for me to stop going, even if I had paid up for my seats for the full season?

[paulwoods13]

nice Argo victory out east, and SPEAKING OF ATTENDANCE, who is watching the Elks-Lions tonite...Elks going for consecutive loss #21. Look at the crowd in Edmonton. However, to be honest, as a long-time STH, I have to ask myself, how many consecutive home-field losses would it take for me to stop going, even if I had paid up for my seats for the full season?

What I can't fathom is how the team supposedly sold 24,000 seats for the game. Surely there are not that many season-ticket holders, the vast majority of whom have decided not to bother going? I was at the Toronto game there last season -- maybe 5,000 in the stands, and yet the tickets I bought were more expensive than what I pay at BMO. I don't believe Edmonton is full of charitable types who will buy tickets to keep the franchise alive but go to games only if the team is entertaining or good. Something does not compute.

[jerrym]

What I can't fathom is how the team supposedly sold 24,000 seats for the game. Surely there are not that many season-ticket holders, the vast majority of whom have decided not to bother going? I was at the Toronto game there last season -- maybe 5,000 in the stands, and yet the tickets I bought were more expensive than what I pay at BMO. I don't believe Edmonton is full of charitable types who will buy tickets to keep the franchise alive but go to games only if the team is entertaining or good. Something does not compute.

I have wondered the same thing about Edmonton's attendance numbers. Also for the first time there is a note this year in the attendance figures that the attendance numbers for the entire CFL do not include two games. Is that because they were never forwarded or because the numbers were so low they were not included deliberately? It would not be the first time in sports that attendance numbers were manufactured or tickets given away in the thousands to fill the stands. I read that even the Leafs under Harold Ballard use to give many tickets to say they continued to have sellouts for decade after decade.

[bannedforlife]

Did I read that someone made a mistake and published 12k for an attendance when it was actually 19k? Can't recall which team that was, Montreal? Don't know if that was a Genius issue or not.

As for Edmonton it's hard to tell, what I saw didn't seem so bad it looked like the empty seats really show up because they are bright coloured and there were people in the upper deck. The problem with the CFL is we compare it with itself and past glories vs the modern reality. I'm not trying to hide my head in the sand and maybe someone will post a pregame picture showing no one there but I was a little surprised that there were that many people there after all we've heard. Again not making excuses, but we usually only see one side of the field and like Toronto, one side seems to have more fans than the other. Maybe I'm wrong but I recall watching Argo games and they'd show a shot of the sideline and there seemed to be a good crowd, then they'd cut to the main follow cam and that side was pretty empty and for some reason the endzone seats seemed to be filled.

[Retrogorilla 2]

East side stands suffer from having to deal with the full brunt of the setting sun and just isn't the "go to" choice when going to games for whatever reason. Argos seats in the middle of the field (both sides) are somewhat over-priced, IMO. The end zone section is where the majority of the die-hards are and the atmosphere is definitely more lively than other sections.

[ArgoRavi]

Did I read that someone made a mistake and published 12k for an attendance when it was actually 19k? Can't recall which team that was, Montreal? Don't know if that was a Genius issue or not.

As for Edmonton it's hard to tell, what I saw didn't seem so bad it looked like the empty seats really show up because they are bright coloured and there were people in the upper deck. The problem with the CFL is we compare it with itself and past glories vs the modern reality. I'm not trying to hide my head in the sand and maybe someone will post a pregame picture showing no one there but I was a little surprised that there were that many people there after all we've heard. Again not making excuses, but we usually only see one side of the field and like Toronto, one side seems to have more fans than the other. Maybe I'm wrong but I recall watching Argo games and they'd show a shot of the sideline and there seemed to be a good crowd, then they'd cut to the main follow cam and that side was pretty empty and for some reason the endzone seats seemed to be filled.

I think that the announced attendances in Edmonton this year have been accurate so far. I too was surprised by how many were in the seats yesterday and would have guessed at 23k to 25k. Once we hit the fall and colder weather though, I suspect that we will see a lot more "no shows" unless the Elks provide some hope.

[Scooter McCray]

Aren't fans who bought tickets to the home opener allowed to keep coming back for free until they win a home game? Guaranteed win night.

[bannedforlife]

Aren't fans who bought tickets to the home opener allowed to keep coming back for free until they win a home game? Guaranteed win night.

I think if you check it out there was some fine print on the guarantee win/free ticket scheme. It wasn't for all the fans attending just a select group IIRC.

[Mocha]

TAKEAWAYS:

Attendance UP 4.76% Season-To-Date 2023 vs 2022.

Argos Home Dates Attendance UP 14.92% YoY.

https://twitter.com/FenderGuy69/stat...820772352?s=20


https://twitter.com/FenderGuy69/status/1691416528267141120?s=20

[Retrogorilla 2]

For all the vasts sums of money they make and how "successful" MLSE claims to be, they are complete failures at marketing the Argos.

Aren't the executives working there supposed to be the "best of the best?" All I see is complete complacency, zero effort and zero ideas coming out of the front office. You'd think they have some pride in wanting to be the best marketing in the league...to show "how it is done"....but it's all just crickets. Year after year after year of failure to grow attendance. Having record setting onfield results so far has seemingly raised the bar a bit so far this season, but that has nothing to do with front office.

Do they even care? I don't know?? I never see an ad or anything even resembling a creative idea.

Must be some sweet 6 figure jobs w/ zero expectations and accountability to have!

["Issues"Mcgee]

For all the vasts sums of money they make and how "successful" MLSE claims to be, they are complete failures at marketing the Argos.

Aren't the executives working there supposed to be the "best of the best?" All I see is complete complacency, zero effort and zero ideas coming out of the front office. You'd think they have some pride in wanting to be the best marketing in the league...to show "how it is done"....but it's all just crickets. Year after year after year of failure to grow attendance. Having record setting onfield results so far has seemingly raised the bar a bit so far this season, but that has nothing to do with front office.

Do they even care? I don't know?? I never see an ad or anything even resembling a creative idea.

Must be some sweet 6 figure jobs w/ zero expectations and accountability to have!

If it were up to me, I'd go hard advertising this upcoming EX game. Use the bye week to get some players out there. Highlight the team's historic record and how they are out for revenge against the Stamps. Free ticket to the EX.

The script writes itself, really.

The Argos should come up with some ridiculous food item only available at BMO on game day. Like a blue cheese banquet burger in between two blueberry jelly doughnut buns. Call it something like the Hospital Pass Burger.

[td1984]

Its a shame the team is this good and can only draw montreal concordes type crowds. Mlse runs team on a minor league baseball type marketing budget. If team had committed owners they would atleast draw similar to Hamilton or Ottawa

[Retrogorilla 2]

MLSE is both a saviour in terms of stability but also a curse in that they obviously put zero-to-no effort into growing the team and the game in the GTA.

[ArgofanIan]

Looks like they are selling the North Endzone seats ....for next Fridays game against the Stamps... would be nice to see that section with people in it... Tickets are slightly cheaper .... if you sit there you have to make more noise that the people than the people in the South Endzone.... FYI

[OV Argo]

For all the vasts sums of money they make and how "successful" MLSE claims to be, they are complete failures at marketing the Argos.

Aren't the executives working there supposed to be the "best of the best?" All I see is complete complacency, zero effort and zero ideas coming out of the front office. You'd think they have some pride in wanting to be the best marketing in the league...to show "how it is done"....but it's all just crickets. Year after year after year of failure to grow attendance. Having record setting onfield results so far has seemingly raised the bar a bit so far this season, but that has nothing to do with front office.

Do they even care? I don't know?? I never see an ad or anything even resembling a creative idea.

Must be some sweet 6 figure jobs w/ zero expectations and accountability to have!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This ! Well said.


Too bad fans couldn't get to vote useless and incompetent "owners" off the island. These clowns need to go.

[Mocha]

Looks like they are selling the North Endzone seats ....for next Fridays game against the Stamps... would be nice to see that section with people in it... Tickets are slightly cheaper .... if you sit there you have to make more noise that the people than the people in the South Endzone.... FYI

Interesting. I always thought those seats were folded up for Argos games.