The Great Canadian Sports Attendance, Marketing and TV Ratings Thread

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by JHikka

This thread is about Canadian sports so the XFL talk will have to die down, but as a note on this Tampa is only selling 27K tickets for their first game this weekend. I imagine Seattle has a similar limit (or at least, initial limiting).

I always assumed it was sports attendance, marketing and TV ratings in Canada - not that the sport itself is necessarily Canadian. Isn't the thread title just taken from the now defunct weekly Yahoo article "The Great Canadian Ratings Report" - which gave ratings for sports televised in Canada?

Of course, we haven't talked about XFL ratings in Canada - so I guess we're off topic. So, I'll ask - how's the TV ratings for the XFL in Canada?

Yea, I figured these teams would limit their ticket sales - so all the fans are gathered closer together and it doesn't look as bad... but they're still playing in a stadium much too large for their needs. If they have any hope of surviving, they'll need to improve the game atmosphere by trying to piggy-back off an existing smaller stadium - like an MLS stadium.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Berklon

I always assumed it was sports attendance, marketing and TV ratings in Canada - not that the sport itself is necessarily Canadian. Isn't the thread title just taken from the now defunct weekly Yahoo article "The Great Canadian Ratings Report" - which gave ratings for sports televised in Canada?

Of course, we haven't talked about XFL ratings in Canada - so I guess we're off topic. So, I'll ask - how's the TV ratings for the XFL in Canada?

Yea, I figured these teams would limit their ticket sales - so all the fans are gathered closer together and it doesn't look as bad... but they're still playing in a stadium much too large for their needs. If they have any hope of surviving, they'll need to improve the game atmosphere by trying to piggy-back off an existing smaller stadium - like an MLS stadium.

I think that the use of NFL stadiums in Seattle, St Louis (well, former NFL there), New York and Tampa is simply lack of a suitable smaller stadium. Seattle's MLS team plays in the NFL stadium. The MLS stadium in New Jersey would need significant renovations to expand the field for football. Red Bull probably doesn't want to mess with their jewel and probably doesn't feel the money spent to renovate would be worth it anyway. LA is using the MLS stadium that the Chargers just finished using for the last few seasons. Washington is also using an MLS stadium. St Louis and Tampa don't have MLS. Houston looked at the MLS stadium but chose the 40k college stadium because they hope to need the seats. Dallas probably thought the same thing, that the MLS stadium would be too small. They were probably made a deal to use the former baseball stadium which the city planned to keep anyway (where else besides Dallas would you have 3 large stadiums in the same place lol).

[Acajack]

Montreal Impact expecting 25-35k at the Big O for Concacaf Champions League game vs Saprissa of Costa Rica next week.

Blue Jays exhibition game tickets are a tough sell in Montréal this year. Only 26k sold so far for both games.

[esquire]

^ You can only sustain the novelty of highly priced exhibition games for so long. I remember the first couple NHL preseason games at the then-new MTS Centre were sellouts. But after a couple of years people wised up to the fact that the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes and the like were lining their pocketbooks with overpriced exhibition games and attendance dropped off.

[thurmas]

Baseball is a dying sport not very surprising also the Jays are not expected to be that good this year and the cache of the annual Jays game has lost its luster as it is being done too many times similar to the NHL outdoor games every year.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I think that the use of NFL stadiums in Seattle, St Louis (well, former NFL there), New York and Tampa is simply lack of a suitable smaller stadium. Seattle's MLS team plays in the NFL stadium. The MLS stadium in New Jersey would need significant renovations to expand the field for football. Red Bull probably doesn't want to mess with their jewel and probably doesn't feel the money spent to renovate would be worth it anyway. LA is using the MLS stadium that the Chargers just finished using for the last few seasons. Washington is also using an MLS stadium. St Louis and Tampa don't have MLS. Houston looked at the MLS stadium but chose the 40k college stadium because they hope to need the seats. Dallas probably thought the same thing, that the MLS stadium would be too small. They were probably made a deal to use the former baseball stadium which the city planned to keep anyway (where else besides Dallas would you have 3 large stadiums in the same place lol).

The XFL field size is the same as the NFL. It'll easily fit inside a soccer pitch.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

The XFL field size is the same as the NFL. It'll easily fit inside a soccer pitch.

Length might be a problem? 100 yards plus 10 yard end zones is 120 total, and I think soccer is 100 or 105 (not sure metres or yards?).

[Hackslack]

Originally Posted by jonny24

Length might be a problem? 100 yards plus 10 yard end zones is 120 total, and I think soccer is 100 or 105 (not sure metres or yards?).

A soccer field is basically 110 yards long. I know this because of the permanent soccer field markings the field at McMahon

[jonny24]

It's already out there since the season has started, but here's the official release announcing the Toronto Arrows partnering with TSN to broadcast games this year:

https://torontoarrows.com/2020/02/20...media-partner/

[JHikka]

TSN has picked up WTA rights from DAZN.

Guess they got tired of their twitter being inundated every tournament by people asking why they weren't showing matches

[thurmas]

I keep encountering so many Jet season ticket holders trying to dump tickets this whole season 2 more times this week at work alone. They just find it way too expensive for booze, food, parking and possible meal before the game. Many have told me they don't even want to see the Jets make the playoffs this season if they are only an 8 seed as they would likely lose in the first round and playoff games are even more expensive. Will not be surprised if Blue Bomber games become the more in thing to do this summer coming off the Grey Cup win, the rapid transit line to the stadium opening this year and the Bombers re-signing Jefferson and Collaros.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by JHikka

TSN has picked up WTA rights from DAZN.

Guess they got tired of their twitter being inundated every tournament by people asking why they weren't showing matches

The “You’ve got five channels and you can’t even put XXX on one of them” people? As though TV networks just randomly send a guy with a camera to whatever event they feel like showing.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by Andy6

The “You’ve got five channels and you can’t even put XXX on one of them” people? As though TV networks just randomly send a guy with a camera to whatever event they feel like showing.

They have unrealistic expectations - no sports channel is going to air porn.

[Djeffery]

Bit of twitter storm brewing today over the decision by Rogers to black out Jays games in Canada on the mlb.tv app. Many people bought that for access since they didn't have a TV package, and liked the access to all the other games. Rogers is trying now to push those people to either get a TV package, or to subscribe to Sportsnet Now. I think what's more likely to happen is a large percentage of those people just turning to illegal feeds.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Bit of twitter storm brewing today over the decision by Rogers to black out Jays games in Canada on the mlb.tv app. Many people bought that for access since they didn't have a TV package, and liked the access to all the other games. Rogers is trying now to push those people to either get a TV package, or to subscribe to Sportsnet Now. I think what's more likely to happen is a large percentage of those people just turning to illegal feeds.

Like they did beforehand anyway, yeah.

Originally Posted by Berklon

They have unrealistic expectations - no sports channel is going to air porn.

TSN at one point in recent history aired a show about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and their calendar shoot. Not far off.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by Berklon

They have unrealistic expectations - no sports channel is going to air porn.

I believe he was referring to the distillation of corn liquor.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by elly63

I believe he was referring to the distillation of corn liquor.

Yes, I thought that was obvious.

[thurmas]

Vanier Cup 2020 still does not have a home to host this year's CIS football biggest game which is a real shame in how the game has been so shabbily treated by CIS. It used to draw over 30,000 fans like the 2011 classic in Vancouver and now it only draws what 8400 in Quebec City really sad and the TV coverage or lack thereof that CIS football has now is pathetic. I urge Wade Miller and the Blue Bombers to team up with the Manitoba Bisons and host this game at IG field as it is very cheap to get the game rights and would be great for Manitoba and Western Canada to host a Vanier Cup.

https://3downnation.com/2020/03/05/v...-home-in-2020/

[EpicPonyTime]

Quebec City doesn't have a 30K seating stadium, but unfortunately the 8K from last year is what happens when you routinely go to the same cities over and over. The appeal of the game washes off even if Laval's football program is the most popular in the country.

I don't see why it would be an impossibility to host it in Regina, which should always have been the plan from the start. At this point, just put it somewhere, and then tie it to the Grey Cup starting next year.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Vanier Cup 2020 still does not have a home to host this year's CIS football biggest game which is a real shame in how the game has been so shabbily treated by CIS. It used to draw over 30,000 fans like the 2011 classic in Vancouver and now it only draws what 8400 in Quebec City really sad and the TV coverage or lack thereof that CIS football has now is pathetic. I urge Wade Miller and the Blue Bombers to team up with the Manitoba Bisons and host this game at IG field as it is very cheap to get the game rights and would be great for Manitoba and Western Canada to host a Vanier Cup.

https://3downnation.com/2020/03/05/v...-home-in-2020/

How telling.