Lions open upper deck for Saskatchewan game

[Hambone]

I'm thinking TSN likes the 4pm start for their eastern TV audience.

Absolutely. 10pm EDT or 11pm ADT (11:30 in NF ) kickoffs are ratings killers back east where over 2/3 of the Canadian market resides. They no doubt impact MB ratings too as such games won't be over until midnight.

[Hambone]

I'm thinking TSN likes the 4pm start for their eastern TV audience.

I'm thinking our Eastern opponents do too!


DH

I think in general terms it's best for the CFL and all 9 teams to have a fairly standardized KO time of 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern. Lots of people don't pay all that much attention to when games start. When a schedule is all over the map there becomes a sense of "never know when they are playing". If they generally go all at the same time then folks who may only be thinking in terms of watching simply because there's a CFL game will tune in at 4PDT. That's not unlike the NFL. I don't pay enough attention to who might be playing but turn the TV on Sundays knowing there are a bunch of games starting at 10 and a bunch more at 11.

33 of the remaining 56 games kickoff at 4, 4:40 or 5PDT; vast majority at 4. There are 9 that kickoff before 4PDT and all are the 1st game of a LD or Sat doubleheader or in the case of one weekend in Sept a Sat tripleheader. That leaves only 14 games (25%) with kickoffs later than 5pm on the left coast. It must be working as ratings have been very good and getting better week by week.

[DanoT]

I'm thinking TSN likes the 4pm start for their eastern TV audience.

True, but the tradeoff is the loss of viewers in the strong B.C. market. I doubt that many people in B.C. pause their normal activities at 4 p.m. on a sunny Saturday afternoon to watch TV. Evenings are always prime time.

While B.C. has a strong market, the entire population of B.C is smaller than Toronto's population. Catering to the huge eastern Canada population is sound marketing.

[Rammer]

I’m sure David like myself like the late games to take advantage of jet lag Eastern teams seem to have to adjust to.

[Hambone]

I’m sure David like myself like the late games to take advantage of jet lag Eastern teams seem to have to adjust to.

I don't buy that as being a significant factor. I think it's a wash. For every game East clubs play at 3 hours late on their body clocks BC has to play one a minimum of 3 hours early on theirs.

As often as I've traveled to eastern Canada I don't sense any jet lag. Flying to Oz, NZ or Europe now that messes with my body clock for 2 or 3 days.

[snackdaddy]

On the ferry from horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. I would say 1/4 to 1/3 of the boat came over for the game. lots of disappointed Sask fans!

[TheLionKing]

Personally I don't like 4:00 PM starts. I much prefer the 7:30 PM start. If they must have afternoon games, make it a 2:00 PM kickoff like in the past.

[Rammer]

I’m sure David like myself like the late games to take advantage of jet lag Eastern teams seem to have to adjust to.

I don't buy that as being a significant factor. I think it's a wash. For every game East clubs play at 3 hours late on their body clocks BC has to play one a minimum of 3 hours early on theirs.

As often as I've traveled to eastern Canada I don't sense any jet lag. Flying to Oz, NZ or Europe now that messes with my body clock for 2 or 3 days.

I think your neglecting that they start the game at 10:00 and finish at 1:00 AM ET. IR many good Eastern teams falling to the Lions as the clock hit Cinderella time.

Remember they aren’t fitting into your 9-5 job time, the 7PM local start time has to affect the Eastern body clock.

Given audience numbers, we will be sftarting at 4PM from here on in at any rate. Similar to the Canucks vs the Canadiens and Leafs.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions won’t be starting at 4 p.m. for the last three home games of the season, which are all on Fridays. Getting to the stadium for 7 p.m. on a Friday is tough enough for Fraser Valley fans. At least one of those games is a 7:30 start.

I don’t mind starting at 4 p.m. on Saturdays against Eastern opponents. I’d still prefer 7 p.m. starts against Western rivals.

[David]

Lions finally reported yesterday's gate. 23,902.

This has to be considered a disappointment given it's the Riders, the "we're now selling seats in the upper bowl" hype earlier in the week and all of the (comparatively) cheap tickets available.

As B.C.FAN mentioned, football is a really tough sell here in the dead of summer. So many outdoor options to compete with (which is why I would opt for as many evening matches as possible in July and August).

If there's any consolation, it "felt" like more. The stands between the goal lines were mostly full and the concourse and concessions packed.


DH

[Hambone]

Lions finally reported yesterday's gate. 23,902.

This has to be considered a disappointment given it's the Riders, the "we're now selling seats in the upper bowl" hype earlier in the week and all of the (comparatively) cheap tickets available.

As B.C.FAN mentioned, football is a really tough sell here in the dead of summer. So many outdoor options to compete with (which is why I would opt for as many evening matches as possible in July and August).

If there's any consolation, it "felt" like more. The stands between the goal lines were mostly full and the concourse and concessions packed.


DH

Agreed. It certainly felt like more. However with 2 blocked off sections and limited availability adjacent to them plus the top half dozen rows in the corner in BC Fans end blocked off lower bowl capacity is probably 25K tops. I estimated the upper bowl sections that were open added 3K to whatever lower bowl capacity is. Overall probably 27K to 28K was capacity Saturday. There were still several chunks of empty seats as one looked down into the corners which makes 24K not seem out of whack.

Could there possibly have been a busier weekend of things to do than this past weekend? Whitecaps vs Leon Friday night. Lions and Riders Saturday. Celebration of Lights also Saturday. Then just down the road in Seattle was the Jays in for a weekend series along with a Taylor Swift concert. Seems to me when it comes to the Celebration of Light even though it and the game don't overlap many in the lower mainland treat it as either a must do event or a huge warning to avoid downtown Vancouver at all costs. No doubt Jays in Seattle costs some potential ticket sales for the Lions. When I sat in 242 from 2011 until 2019 there were two guys who sat directly behind me for the first few years until we moved back to the row behind them and over to the aisle. They never missed a Lions game.......except when the Jays were in Seattle.

[David]

I'll have what Bob's smoking.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

He’s probably correct that announced attendance reflects ticket sales and there are usually about 5,000 no-shows for summer games. Many regulars in our section were away this week, and their seats were empty. I missed the last game, and my tickets were unused. Still, it was a good summer crowd.

[Hambone]

I'll have what Bob's smoking.


DH

Don't announce actual attendance. Thanks Capt. Bobvious. Name a pro organization or even amateur organization like a WHL or BCHL organization who does.