A New Era: CFL announces landmark media agreements in Canada and globally

[RebusRankin]

Why? Of course you compare to the market leader. The CFL is going to drag you into the modern era or it won't, but it's heading there regardless, finally. Your move.

So you're response to anybody who questions this move is to insult them and throw down an ultimatum?

You're an ******* and yes mods I'll gladly take a suspension for this comment.

[TBURGESS]

I've watched the CFL since I was 10. I'm now 69. I had season tickets in Wpg, Cgy, BC for about 30 years. I watch every game on TV. I used to watch the Montreal games in french when they weren't on the english channels. I stream pre season games on CFL+ & I streamed when I was in Mexico. I've scheduled vacations around games. I even stayed a couple of extra days in Vancouver to watch my last GC before I left Canada. 

That's my CFL fan cred. 

[peg_city]

1/3 to 1/4 of the games will be on DAZN.

I have seasons. So, it doesn't impact home games.

So 1/3 or 1/4 of away games, which is 2-3.

One of those games probably won't matter or will conflict with my schedule.

So 1-2 a year, plus 1 playoff game (maybe).

I'll just go to the local watering hole.

It's really not difficult guys. Players deserve to get paid enough considering how bad the sport is on their long-term health. Anyone see Chris Walby walk around the city?

Just pay the money or go to Boston Pizza, the Tavern and make an evening out of it.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

So you're response to anybody who questions this move is to insult them and throw down an ultimatum?

You're an ******* and yes mods I'll gladly take a suspension for this comment.

Nothing I said is meant to insult you but I also won't stroke your ego outrage and tell you you're right. It's simply to explain to you that times are changing and you can either deal with having to subscribe to another service (and updated rules) like virtually every other sport has done 5 to 10 years ago or exercise your freedom of choice by choosing to do something different. It's not complicated. It's not personal. Crucially, I'm not giving you an ultimatum. The league's own release calls this a new era. Join or don't. They'd prefer you did but they probably don't care either way. They just increased revenues by a huge amount, after all, by copying the strategy of the league you said we can't compare it to.

[Tecno]

Ironically, if you pay for DAZN, you're a CFL fan subsidizing the NFL.  NFL seems to be their biggest offering.

That's bass ackwards.

[Tecno]

Aardvark says that most CFL fans have DAZN accounts...is this true though?

I had never heard of DAZN before today.  What is that name even supposed to mean?  The best they could come up with?  Sounds like they just wanted to be their own stock ticker.

I guess you NFL people know, but I would expect 90% of the CFL-only people have never heard of it.

Like the world needs another streaming platform.

[Tecno]

They'll complain and do nothing else beside open their wallets.
Huge win for the commish.

I hope Johnston got the amount set in stone and made sure the CFL's cut is a set fee and not a per-view fee!  Because I promise you DAZN will lose money on this.

From a "financial health" standpoint this is 100% a win because even if only 10% of us fans pay for DAZN, the CFL is millions richer.  That should allow them to end the "equalization" payments.  And finally shut up the billionaire owners and their fans screaming "we're poors! woe is us!".

From a fan standpoint this is completely garbage.

[Tecno]

This is what upstart/growth companies do: they buy growth.  DAZN doesn't care they will lose money (cost to CFL divided by number of new subscriptions > revenue per subscription) because this allows them to claim growth.  "We had 100k new subscriptions in June 2027!"  And that drives stock prices.

I haven't checked, but I'd bet dollars to donuts DAZN IPO'd in the last 0 to 3 years (or is about to).  IPO gets you the free money, then you buy up the growth.

[Tecno]

If the Bombers are playing an away game on a Saturday I might just go to a lounge to watch it.

That's assuming lounges will splurge for the subscription.  And you're assuming it's even legal per the DAZN terms that you can public broadcast.  And you're assuming the dolt behind the bar can figure out how to make it stream!

However, if they do get all that right, a lounge would be an option.

[Tecno]

It will be interesting to see how much the viewership numbers drop for the non tsn games. Also how many will be western conference vs east. I wouldn't be surprised if it was less then half the viewers

I promise you that less than 25% of fans who watch CFL on TSN will pay $40-$50 a month for this.  In fact, I'd wager less than 15%.

The fans that will pay are basically the type of people here: the uber fan.  And we've seen maybe even here, probably less than half will pay.  That doesn't leave very many people.

Where it might actually work is getting the people who already do DAZN for NFL season to subscribe for the full year instead.  How many of these people exist?  Who knows.  In any event, even that would only result in a modest increase in revenue because of the better price break by buying the whole year.

[Tecno]

It's probably one of the reasons everything was announced so quickly, so not matter what he could point to the new money and say "this is why we did it" - even if one thing has nothing to do with the other.

We've already seen this from Johnston.  He makes announcements that will anger fans right before major CFL dates (like season start), so that we quickly go back to doing normal CFL things and forget how much we hate his meddling.

In fact, we should start approaching any important CFL date with trepidation, knowing that that's when Johnston is going to drop another turd on us.  What a slimeball, but slick, oh so slick.

[Tecno]

The NFL does not have 100% game coverage on free network television.  Many games are only available through subscription basis.

Disingenuous comparison.  32 teams and 272 game season vs 81 games for the CFL.  Basically no station can reasonably air every NFL game simply because of time overlap.  But TSN can for the CFL, especially with 5 channels.

[Tecno]

There are many things that make this league great and they are chipping away at them. So while they can pat themselves on the back for increasing revenue, they are also taking away the affordability of the league. It's hard to even get upset anymore. It's just a general sad feeling that I'm losing something I care a lot about.

A lot of people don't like being nickle & dimed.  This is nickle & diming.  I'm already paying for the full TSN suite on cable, basically just for CFL & F1.

I would have rather they upped the TSN cable fee by $5/month.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I had never heard of DAZN before today.  What is that name even supposed to mean?  The best they could come up with?  Sounds like they just wanted to be their own stock ticker.

I guess you NFL people know, but I would expect 90% of the CFL-only people have never heard of it.

Like the world needs another streaming platform.

Heard it referred to as "DA Zone" a couple of times today, no idea if that is a made up nickname or what.

[Tecno]

And now I can't record every game on my computer PVR.  Streaming does not lend itself to recording, due to DRM.  There is no way I'll subscribe without being able to record my Bomber games to watch in 5 years.  I'll have to invest some time in figuring out how to record.

As for youtube, you guys are high if you think these games will be free on youtube.  The announcement only says they will expand the vignette-ish offerings.  There is zero mention of games.

In fact, I will bet you a whack ton that with DAZN coming on the scene they will be policing YT more than ever to take down illicit copies of games.  Say bye to all your YT game viewing.  You'll have to be in the pirate world if you want to get this stuff for free.