Marketing Partnership Between MLSE and the Bills

[ARGO57]

I'm having real problem seeing what advantage this is to the Argos. Pelley also tried to justify the playing of 3 home games, in opposition stadiums next year. His argument was that they did not want to host games of only 5,000 or 7,000 but Guelph stadium could, as has been done before, be expanded to 13,000. His argument that it wasn't great for the brand doesn't make sense. Playing in an expanded Guelph stadium in front of 13,000 plus fans would have spread the brand to some new fans. It is noteworthy that Pelley would not disclose how much the other teams are paying MLSE for the extra home games in their stadiums.
This is a cash grab by MLSE to the disadvantage of the team and its fans.

$$$ trumps all when it comes to MLSE, the Argos are like a pimple on an elephant’s ass in their world.

[RB957]

The total cost of having a team in Toronto, factoring in the exchange rate, would make it an impossible venture from the get go. So it could never be successful, because you could never get your money back.

I don't expect to see an NFL team in Toronto during my lifetime, but I think it's worth noting that sports franchise values continue to grow exponentially. So even if it cost $20 billion to get a franchise and build a stadium, who's to say the enterprise value wouldn't be $50 billion a decade or two later? Any expansion franchise will not need to recoup its expenses from operations, but rather from enterprise value.

You're right, the value of franchises, especially in the diamond leagues like NFL and Premier League Soccer keep increasing. My point was more to the fact that who in Canada at this point would have the will and the wherewithal to pony up that kind of money, for such a long-term investment? Even Rogers couldn't do it, after having spent billions to acquire the outstanding shares of MLSE. And to try to put together some kind of consortium seems far-fetched. I can never see this happening, in our lifetimes or the next lifetime.

[shayman]

I wonder what the Ticats think. Here's MLSE and the Bills sort of asserting a claim to young people and football in southern Ontario, and meanwhile there's another team even closer to Buffalo than the Argos are. Were they totally blindsided by this? Are they part of it somehow (unlikely, they would surely have been in the announcement if they were.)

The Detroit Lions are already staking a claim to London and periodically do official watch parties at the Canada LIfe Place arena, even sending their mascot, drum line and cheerleaders to the most recent one last weekend.

(I don't like any of this.)

[argolio]

Not sure what this means or if it will mean anything, so.....yeah.

[RichK]

The program will run football camps for kids, and give away football swag for kids, all of it featuring Argos branding on an equal basis with Bills branding.

How can this NOT be a good thing? Many kids will become aware of the Argos for the first time. Others will see the Argos as more legitimized because of the connection with the Bills.

We should be happy that MLSE is finally doing SOMETHING to help market this team. They are also going to sell discounted tickets for kids on the upper east side of BMO, something people have been calling for for years.

[AngeloV]

The program will run football camps for kids, and give away football swag for kids, all of it featuring Argos branding on an equal basis with Bills branding.

How can this NOT be a good thing? Many kids will become aware of the Argos for the first time. Others will see the Argos as more legitimized because of the connection with the Bills.

We should be happy that MLSE is finally doing SOMETHING to help market this team. They are also going to sell discounted tickets for kids on the upper east side of BMO, something people have been calling for for years.

Couldn't agree more Rich.

[OV Argo]

The program will run football camps for kids, and give away football swag for kids, all of it featuring Argos branding on an equal basis with Bills branding.

How can this NOT be a good thing? Many kids will become aware of the Argos for the first time. Others will see the Argos as more legitimized because of the connection with the Bills.

We should be happy that MLSE is finally doing SOMETHING to help market this team. They are also going to sell discounted tickets for kids on the upper east side of BMO, something people have been calling for for years.

Maybe / hopefully. Trying to see the good eh ?

I'd believe the Argos branding on equal footing with the Bills when i see it though - highly doubtful.

What has prevented the brainiacs at MLSE from doing any Argo marketing up till now though ? Next to zero Argo gear or merchandise on display to buy in stores in the GTA (i did find an Argo new boat logo cap in a downtown Canadian Tire a few weeks back - that's all i saw) ? I'll tell u why: cause the corporate clowns and all-'merican wannabes in charge there are embarassed by the minor league Argos; and this was a chance to hook up with their almighty NFL heroes and let the little Argos in, for free basically.

MLSE and all the other suck-holes, wannabes and corporate ki$$ a$$ types in this part of the Canadian map are a f#cking joke = that is all.

[IssuesMcgee]

The program will run football camps for kids, and give away football swag for kids, all of it featuring Argos branding on an equal basis with Bills branding.

How can this NOT be a good thing? Many kids will become aware of the Argos for the first time. Others will see the Argos as more legitimized because of the connection with the Bills.

We should be happy that MLSE is finally doing SOMETHING to help market this team. They are also going to sell discounted tickets for kids on the upper east side of BMO, something people have been calling for for years.

Maybe / hopefully. Trying to see the good eh ?

I'd believe the Argos branding on equal footing with the Bills when i see it though - highly doubtful.

What has prevented the brainiacs at MLSE from doing any Argo marketing up till now though ? Next to zero Argo gear or merchandise on display to buy in stores in the GTA (i did find an Argo new boat logo cap in a downtown Canadian Tire a few weeks back - that's all i saw) ? I'll tell u why: cause the corporate clowns and all-'merican wannabes in charge there are embarassed by the minor league Argos; and this was a chance to hook up with their almighty NFL heroes and let the little Argos in, for free basically.

MLSE and all the other suck-holes, wannabes and corporate ki$$ a$$ types in this part of the Canadian map are a f#cking joke = that is all.

Honestly at this point I don't blame MLSE. They are just catering to the demand.

Blame the average sports fan in Ontario. They all claim they want to buy Canadian and then turn around and follow the NFL, HBO and superhero movies while scoffing at anything Canadian. And then they have the nerve to act like they are morally and intellectually superior to the average American.

This was all made very clear last winter when the buy Canadian push started but two weeks later, no one had the stones to boycott the Superbowl or the latest Captain America movie, which would have made a much bigger statement than buying Ontario garlic.

The more I think about this deal though the less it bothers me. Sure, it's insulting and borderline treasonous, but on the other hand Canadian Football has a pretty significant stigma to it in Ontario. The idea behind this could be to eliminate that stigma.

[OV Argo]

The program will run football camps for kids, and give away football swag for kids, all of it featuring Argos branding on an equal basis with Bills branding.

How can this NOT be a good thing? Many kids will become aware of the Argos for the first time. Others will see the Argos as more legitimized because of the connection with the Bills.

We should be happy that MLSE is finally doing SOMETHING to help market this team. They are also going to sell discounted tickets for kids on the upper east side of BMO, something people have been calling for for years.

Maybe / hopefully. Trying to see the good eh ?

I'd believe the Argos branding on equal footing with the Bills when i see it though - highly doubtful.

What has prevented the brainiacs at MLSE from doing any Argo marketing up till now though ? Next to zero Argo gear or merchandise on display to buy in stores in the GTA (i did find an Argo new boat logo cap in a downtown Canadian Tire a few weeks back - that's all i saw) ? I'll tell u why: cause the corporate clowns and all-'merican wannabes in charge there are embarassed by the minor league Argos; and this was a chance to hook up with their almighty NFL heroes and let the little Argos in, for free basically.

MLSE and all the other suck-holes, wannabes and corporate ki$$ a$$ types in this part of the Canadian map are a f#cking joke = that is all.

Honestly at this point I don't blame MLSE. They are just catering to the demand.

Blame the average sports fan in Ontario. They all claim they want to buy Canadian and then turn around and follow the NFL, HBO and superhero movies while scoffing at anything Canadian. And then they have the nerve to act like they are morally and intellectually superior to the average American.

This was all made very clear last winter when the buy Canadian push started but two weeks later, no one had the stones to boycott the Superbowl or the latest Captain America movie, which would have made a much bigger statement than buying Ontario garlic.

The more I think about this deal though the less it bothers me. Sure, it's insulting and borderline treasonous, but on the other hand Canadian Football has a pretty significant stigma to it in Ontario. The idea behind this could be to eliminate that stigma.


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Yeah, but the corporate weasels and hype-$uckers that rule our media and big bizness up here create that "demand". Hard to educate all the sheep and lemmings up here, so just lead them on to drink the cool-aid. Gutless, moron cowards on both sides of that equation.

[shayman]

Although I suppose there's a slight chance this might be a benefit for the Argos, MLSE has not exactly earned the benefit of the doubt here.