NBC Sports Network to broadcast Grey Cup, Playoffs, Labour Day Classics!

[Invader]

Good news for U.S.-based CFL fans, NBC Sports Network will be televising the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto, the playoffs and nine regular-season games (including the Argos/TiCats Labour Day game) starting in late August.

NBC network's reach is over 80 million U.S. households, dwarfing the 9 million Canadian TSN subscribers.


http://www.thestar.com/sports/football/cfl/article/1229526--nbc-sports-network-to-broadcast-grey-cup-in-the-u-s

[matchuk]

this is awesome news for the cfl

[tc23]

Sure is GREAT NEWS !! CFL is going BIG TIME !! Now America will see what real football is !

[Fungi]

I would say more exciting football. NFL is real football. I'm not trying to be a grammar nazi, but NFL is REAL football. just not as exciting. IMO.
Good decision from the sport network... Thumbs up.

[Invader]

Canadian football is real football. Always has been and always will.

[OV Argo]

Canadian football is real football. Always has been and always will.

OK - but Canadian football is what it is; and American football is what it is - both great variations of the game - that originated around the same time on both sides of the border - and went their separate ways.

BIG difference - a lot of Canadians know about American football and watch the NFL; not many Americans know about or appreciate the CFL; maybe NBC coverage can change the later - at least a bit.

[argotom]

I am going to reserve my decision as this is not like the NBC main network.
Still though it is exposure for possible future players.
What is the audience exposure here on this cable network.
Also, is there any money actually coming into the league for these games?

[Argoscflguy]

I would say more exciting football. NFL is real football. I'm not trying to be a grammar nazi, but NFL is REAL football. just not as exciting. IMO.
Good decision from the sport network... Thumbs up.

What do you mean (REAl) football??

[Invader]

It might be a bit much to ask for CFL games to be televised on a national U.S. network like NBC. This is a good first step and is an improvement over Altitude or NFLN...as these games will be televised live. While the NBC sports channel is new, it has a vast reach. Isn't the NHL on NBC SC also?

I frankly doubt there is any financial consideration in this deal. This season is probably a test. If the ratings are reasonable, a package could be sold for next season, especially if there is a competitive bidder.

[argos1873]

I would say more exciting football. NFL is real football. I'm not trying to be a grammar nazi, but NFL is REAL football. just not as exciting. IMO.
Good decision from the sport network... Thumbs up.

Of course NFL is real football. As they call it. No matter how they try to take the foot out of football, its still football, if thats what they call it. Or how outlawed kicking in their game, maybe its not. But whatever you want to call football. It doesn't matter because whatever they do down there will come to Canada.

[argos1873]

OK - but Canadian football is what it is; and American football is what it is - both great variations of the game - that originated around the same time on both sides of the border - and went their separate ways.


True, but Canadian football is more pure to real football than American football. Very slightly but it is. And I don't hate American Football. Not too long ago (ok more than 50 years ago now) Canadian football was known as Canadian Rugby. It was the American influence on the game that made it "football" as we know it. My grandfather used to confuse the hell out of me when he would refer to Football as Rugby, and Rugby as Rugger. But he was right, the football as we know it was Rugby. It says so right on our beloved Grey Cup.

[Wobbler]

Thanks for the heads up, Invader. The ESPN3 stream is very good, but it still isn't as nice as full HD cable coverage.

[R.J]

IMO real football is played in Canada, technically it was "invented" in Toronto in 1861, the U.S only started playing the game in 1869, and used to play three downs. The U.S introduced the forward pass to the game legally in 1906, the forward pass was not legal in Canada until 1929.

[anthonyrussell]

Excellent news! Gives me slightly better access to the games via my friend's slingbox.