Scooter McCray wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 12:20 pmWhats the price tag today to buy a team, and build a stadium? $1.5 Billion each for $3 Billion USD total? ROI on that would be 50 years at least. Rogers is publicly traded. Not sure if shareholders would be on board or not.
I think it would cost a lot more than $1.5B to buy an NFL team. The ROI wouldn't simply be based on profits over x amount of years though, it would be based on franchise valuation. Whatever the price is, that franchise will gain instant value moving to a stronger market (or an expansion team) but it's major valuation growth will be closer to 2030 the media rights deals are up again.
The NFL is also going to an 18 game schedule, with their season starting on Labor Day weekend. That's a foregone conclusion. The only thing to be figured out is if it happens in the next couple of years or if they wait until the CBA expires at the end of the decade. When that happens, the value of the franchises will again see some strong growth and their regular season is a major money maker over the preseason.
The biggest issue I see with Toronto ever getting an NFL isn't the market. It has the population, the corporate dollars etc. It's a great market. It would be the stadium. Would an ownership group be willing to finance that alone? And if not would there be public funding for it? It seems difficult to get public funds for stadiums or arenas in Canada unless you are Alberta (new Oiler and Flames arenas).
shayman wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:14 am
I'd say we can expect to hear NFL-to-Toronto chatter starting up in earnest again, especially now that the NFL has apparently removed the rule that insisted on individual owners.
Whats the price tag today to buy a team, and build a stadium? $1.5 Billion each for $3 Billion USD total? ROI on that would be 50 years at least. Rogers is publicly traded. Not sure if shareholders would be on board or not.
The NFL has no incentive to ever put a team outside the U.S., but talk of a team here has done damage in the past and would in the future.
Bingo_Arms wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 12:32 pmIThe NFL is also going to an 18 game schedule, with their season starting on Labor Day weekend. That's a foregone conclusion.
More likely they'll finish later in order to move the Super Bowl to the Presidents Day holiday weekend.
If Rogers does sell the team, I am 100% certain Bell would just buy them again. They need The Argos for TV rights.
edit: I don't know how to add twitter links to show up as a tweet
I really doubt Bell would buy the Argos, for that or any reason. I see no scenario in which there is any broadcaster competing with Bell for CFL rights. IMO it is more possible that Bell at some point gets out of broadcasting sports on traditional TV platforms.
If Rogers does sell the team, I am 100% certain Bell would just buy them again. They need The Argos for TV rights.
edit: I don't know how to add twitter links to show up as a tweet
I really doubt Bell would buy the Argos, for that or any reason. I see no scenario in which there is any broadcaster competing with Bell for CFL rights. IMO it is more possible that Bell at some point gets out of broadcasting sports on traditional TV platforms.
If you look at CFL ratings, the Argos are one of the top rating generators. People like watching the Argos on TV (maybe not going to the games in person). Better ratings = better ad revenue. This was the main reason (I believe) in why Bell bought the Argos the first time, then merged them into MLSE.
Also, the cost to run the Argos is what? 10 Million? Pocket change.
argolio wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 1:41 pm
More likely they'll finish later in order to move the Super Bowl to the Presidents Day holiday weekend.
While you are right that they will finish later, it will also be a Labor Day start. They are going to incorporate an extra bye week. So basically one week earlier and one week later. The Labor Day option gives them the usual Sunday but also the opportunity to put two or three games on during the holiday Monday - as they currently do with Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas. It's a smart move by them to be honest.
Personally I think an NFL team in Toronto is a massive long shot. At best maybe one of the regular season "international series" games (which are also going to be expanding) but again, where would it be played?
Argoriffic wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 2:50 pm
If you look at CFL ratings, the Argos are one of the top rating generators. People like watching the Argos on TV (maybe not going to the games in person). Better ratings = better ad revenue. This was the main reason (I believe) in why Bell bought the Argos the first time, then merged them into MLSE.
Also, the cost to run the Argos is what? 10 Million? Pocket change.
Yes, Argos draw good ratings. But there are no broadcasters other than Bell interested in CFL rights. Consequently, the CFL's broadcast rights are not going to go up significantly in value -- it's simple supply and demand. And traditional TV (including over-the-air broadcast and cable) is dying a slow death. Maybe streaming services will enter the picture some day, but the value of a nine-team league that plays different rules than the behemoths next door and has next to no following outside Canada will not be high.
As for what it costs to run the Argos, $10M is probably too low since the publicly owned teams have reported expenses quite a bit higher than that. Even with whatever synergy comes from being part of MLSE, it's extremely doubtful the Argos as a stand-alone business turn anything close to a profit. Again, I don't see why Bell would buy back in.
This is terrrible news for the Argos, their fans, and quite frankly the CFL.
Rogers has NO interest in the CFL, and basically tolerated Argos' being part of MLSE. Now that Bell is out of MLSE, Rogers has no further use to prop up the Argos since its own network Sportsnet has no involvement or interest. I believe that Paul is correct that Bell would not purchase the Argos. It would be an albatross around their necks and I think he is also right that the CFL's broadcast rights are not worth as much if no one other than TSN wants them. It is also interesting that the purchase agreement allows Bell to retain its share of Leafs/Raptors games for the next 20 years. That is where the real money is, not in the CFL.
As for Rogers going for an NFL team, I think there is a zero chance of that happening. Forget the franchise fee... what about a stadium? Look at Buffalo, where they are paying US $1.5 billion for a new stadium that meets current NFL standards. Where is that kind of money going to come from up here? Not going to happen. Not in my lifetime anyway.
I wish there was someone like Bob Young or Pierre Karl Peladeau or Amar Doman to ride to the rescue.... but that is wishful thinking, I am afraid.
And I didn't win the $80 million Lotto Max, so I am out of the conversation. (small joke). Anyway, not a good day for Double Blue at all.
