All things Media/Marketing 2024

[Toppy Vann]

The Lions may be marketing better but finding these deals like this 7 game package that I was looking for is impossible so I just went to Travelzoo this week and bought there as I get their top 20 email frequently. I was told at a Lions practice they had the 7 game deal and I have searched and can't find it. Now that may be my lack of skills but I'm still a ticket buyer and their site right now is a joke to navigate.

[David]

Montreal is a good comp market for BC (Vancouver). Hockey reigns supreme with an MLS soccer club getting disposable dollars from the sports fan. Montreal's population is significantly larger than Vancouver's (4.3M vs 2.7M) and they don't face the same football competition that BC does (with the Seahawks just down the highway) which is why we should be impressed by the progress of the Doman/Vienneau era. Yes, Toronto is an English-speaking market but that's where the comparison stops. Population is 6.2M and they face competition from the Blue Jays and Raptors (that notwithstanding, they are pretty much a lost cause).

This article speaks to the challenges - and progress - Montreal has experienced to attract fans to Als games.

CFL Montreal Alouettes President Mark Weightman's current mandate is to make the team “relevant again in a city where hockey rules year-round,” according to Herb Zurkowsky of the MONTREAL GAZETTE. Weightman said, “We’re spending every moment of every day trying to come up with cool ideas for content, for coverage, to get more coverage. We’re fighting for every inch, every bit of access to notoriety and visibility.” Zurkowsky noted the team has had “occasional issues at the ownership level,” and over time the franchise “became the epitome of instability.” Now, it “appears to have turned the corner." Quebecor Inc. President & CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau purchased the Alouettes from the CFL in March 2023. He has “deep pockets and appears to realize few, if any, CFL franchises make money.” Péladeau said, “I’m not coming in for the money. There’s no money to be made in football now.” The Alouettes have a season-ticket base “believed to be slightly above 7,000” in their 23,035-seat facility. Zurkowsky noted while that might “not seem strong, it was probably half that two years ago.” He added sponsorships have “increased under Weightman," who said that there are now “companies on waiting lists.” The 21 suites and four outdoor lofts are “virtually sold for the entire season.” Weightman and the organization are “being creative in their attempts to attract fans.” A new video scoreboard has been "installed in the east end zone." There are also now "pre-game and halftime concerts in the west end zone, new hospitality areas and a BBQ terrace." The stadium, built in 1915, has “been spruced up” (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 6/22).


DH

[Hambone]

Lions may have dodged a bullet jumping back to NW. Weren't they on AM730 before? Apparently earlier today AM730, the all-traffic station who carries Whitecaps games, went silent.

https://theprovince.com/news/local-news ... 51a811b6ea

[Qman]

Montreal is a good comp market for BC (Vancouver). Hockey reigns supreme with an MLS soccer club getting disposable dollars from the sports fan. Montreal's population is significantly larger than Vancouver's (4.3M vs 2.7M) and they don't face the same football competition that BC does (with the Seahawks just down the highway) which is why we should be impressed by the progress of the Doman/Vienneau era. Yes, Toronto is an English-speaking market but that's where the comparison stops. Population is 6.2M and they face competition from the Blue Jays and Raptors (that notwithstanding, they are pretty much a lost cause).

This article speaks to the challenges - and progress - Montreal has experienced to attract fans to Als games.

CFL Montreal Alouettes President Mark Weightman's current mandate is to make the team “relevant again in a city where hockey rules year-round,” according to Herb Zurkowsky of the MONTREAL GAZETTE. Weightman said, “We’re spending every moment of every day trying to come up with cool ideas for content, for coverage, to get more coverage. We’re fighting for every inch, every bit of access to notoriety and visibility.” Zurkowsky noted the team has had “occasional issues at the ownership level,” and over time the franchise “became the epitome of instability.” Now, it “appears to have turned the corner." Quebecor Inc. President & CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau purchased the Alouettes from the CFL in March 2023. He has “deep pockets and appears to realize few, if any, CFL franchises make money.” Péladeau said, “I’m not coming in for the money. There’s no money to be made in football now.” The Alouettes have a season-ticket base “believed to be slightly above 7,000” in their 23,035-seat facility. Zurkowsky noted while that might “not seem strong, it was probably half that two years ago.” He added sponsorships have “increased under Weightman," who said that there are now “companies on waiting lists.” The 21 suites and four outdoor lofts are “virtually sold for the entire season.” Weightman and the organization are “being creative in their attempts to attract fans.” A new video scoreboard has been "installed in the east end zone." There are also now "pre-game and halftime concerts in the west end zone, new hospitality areas and a BBQ terrace." The stadium, built in 1915, has “been spruced up” (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 6/22).


DH

Problem in Montreal is the facilty. They just don’t have amount of social seats, luxury boxes to generate high end revenue despite being a #1 tv team.
It’s those high end areas to bring in significant revenue.
If they can put $20million into the facility rebuild north side put in luxury seating

[Merolamas56]

It takes about 5 hours to drive to Boston from Montreal.
It takes about 3 hours to drive from Vancouver to Seattle.
People driving to Boston are going to find a lot more pro sports choices , with better teams, than folks taking a trip to Seattle.
It is better to just stay home in Vancouver

[David]

Some interesting numbers as the Lions look to rebuild interest in their product. Don't know the actual ratings, or if he's referring to national or local ratings. This is based on the first 3 games (not including the Edmonton game).

He (Lions President Duane Vienneau) said TV ratings to this point were up five per cent over last year’s numbers, which in turn were up nine per cent from the year before. The Lions saw their TV numbers dip in last week’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but only slightly — despite running against Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

“That tells us a lot,” said Vienneau. “We went head to head, and we held our own.”

DH

[Hambone]

Problem in Montreal is the facilty. They just don’t have amount of social seats, luxury boxes to generate high end revenue despite being a #1 tv team.
It’s those high end areas to bring in significant revenue.
If they can put $20million into the facility rebuild north side put in luxury seating

I don't know if that is even feasible. Given the structure it would likely take a total teardown and rebuld to do that. Molson is built on a slight sidehill with no wiggle room to do much in any direction. It's surrounded by buildings on all but the east endzone. On the north side there is literally 50' between the top of the stands and Douglas Hall, a McGill student residence in behind the bleachers. From Google Earth it looks like there is parking and access roads that go under the stands. There's really nothing in it for McGill to spend anything other than maintenance money on Molson which they own. The Als would have to pony up all the money and likely ask McGill to vacate the stadium until the work is done.

[almo89]

Problem in Montreal is the facilty. They just don’t have amount of social seats, luxury boxes to generate high end revenue despite being a #1 tv team.
It’s those high end areas to bring in significant revenue.
If they can put $20million into the facility rebuild north side put in luxury seating

I don't know if that is even feasible. Given the structure it would likely take a total teardown and rebuld to do that. Molson is built on a slight sidehill with no wiggle room to do much in any direction. It's surrounded by buildings on all but the east endzone. On the north side there is literally 50' between the top of the stands and Douglas Hall, a McGill student residence in behind the bleachers. From Google Earth it looks like there is parking and access roads that go under the stands. There's really nothing in it for McGill to spend anything other than maintenance money on Molson which they own. The Als would have to pony up all the money and likely ask McGill to vacate the stadium until the work is done.

It would be amazing if they could do a massive facelift to Molson stadium, but like you said, there's like no wiggle room. If it's possible to convert that stadium to a 30k seat facility, with new amenities, no more bench seating and add in luxury boxes, it could be the best stadium in the league just for the location it self.

[Hambone]

It would be amazing if they could do a massive facelift to Molson stadium, but like you said, there's like no wiggle room. If it's possible to convert that stadium to a 30k seat facility, with new amenities, no more bench seating and add in luxury boxes, it could be the best stadium in the league just for the location it self.

The footprint of Molson is only 500' across. Footprints of stadiums like McMahon, Princess Auto, THF, BMO and TD Place are anywhere from 600' to 635'. Mosaic is up around 685'. That narrow footprint does make for seating to go almost straight up to where from the city side you feel like you're looking straight down on the field. Sightlines are probably the CFL's best from that side. I haven't watched from the other side to know how the game looks from there.

Molson's bench seating really helps them get into the current 23K range. I've seen 4 or 5 games there, always on the city side, and can attest there is zero leg room. I'm 6' and those benches have me with my knees firmly pressed into the back of the bench in front of me. The permanent cement structure those benches sit on restricts the ability to put in any modern seating. Leg room is what it is regardless of seating type. All they could do is install wider seats which of course reduces capacity. As part of BC Places reno the new seats are wider than the original ones which cost them to lose pretty much 1 seat in every row. Post reno capacity is roughly 10% less than original. Similarly when Commonwealth redid their seating about a decade ago wider seats cost them about 10% of their capacity.

[don corleone]

Nice to see Ford running an ad for their Mustang EV on Thursday Night Football.

[TheLionKing]

Lions may have dodged a bullet jumping back to NW. Weren't they on AM730 before? Apparently earlier today AM730, the all-traffic station who carries Whitecaps games, went silent.

https://theprovince.com/news/local-news ... 51a811b6ea

Anybody else have problem picking up the NW broadcast at the stadium without the static ?

[dodger]

I also get just static. AM730 would come in fine. They are supposed to have a fm broadcast in stadium but i can't find it.

[B.C.FAN]

I can’t even get Wifi in the stadium this year to follow game stats and information.

[Hambone]

I can’t even get Wifi in the stadium this year to follow game stats and information.

All the extra bodies sucking up the bandwidth?

[B.C.FAN]

I can’t even get Wifi in the stadium this year to follow game stats and information.

All the extra bodies sucking up the bandwidth?

I switched carriers. Telus service was bad where I sit near field level but Rogers is non-existent.