NFLN to broadcast 2 games per week

[joe kapp22]

However, this could work out very well for the NFL Network as well. If the NFL lockout carries over into the start of their season, all of a sudden they'll be quite short of programming; much of the network's content is highlights, analysis and news, and there isn't going to be a lot on any of those fronts without a NFL season. They'll still have documentaries, player rankings and such, but live football content is a nice break from that, and that can be particularly advantageous when there isn't much else available in the way of pro football. Also, the costs on their end are minimal, as they're just picking up TSN's feed (created in production trucks like the one above).

The NFL Network schedule for the first five weeks has been released, with more games to follow later. The network will carry the league's season opener live on July 30, with the B.C. Lions heading to Montreal to face the Grey Cup champion Alouettes at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Their next broadcast is July 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and will be tape-delayed coverage of the July 1 Toronto Argonauts - Calgary Stampeders game. The next four weeks all feature two live games, including Saturday doubleheaders on July 9 and July 16.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/cfl/blog/cfl ... n=cfl-wp76

Nice, additional coverage, new stadiums, would be nice if Ottawa and maybe Moncton were up and running.

ESPN3 also may offer the games online in HD.

[DanoT]

The CFL games on NFLN last year were blacked out in Canada so I guess it will be the same this year. Means you still need to get TSN and then you get all the games.

In the long run the exposure will help with CFL teams recruiting but also help the CFL become somewhat of a second chance or development league for some players who eventually go to the NFL. While historically most of those players don't stick in the NFL, there are better players coming out of US and Canadian colleges each year so players in both leagues are getting better.

[joe kapp22]

I like it DanoT, this, the Stadium remodels around the league, the Argos Documentary, for me these things point in a positive direction for the CFL as a whole.

To me, the last sort of hurdle is really making Ottawa and Moncton or Quebec successful places to launch Franchises.

Meanwhile, ESPN3 will stream games and "think" there is a way to watch them even in Canada.

[joe kapp22]

I have never heard what the viewership numbers were like, do you know offhand?

I did read the first game with the Richardson one handed grab was fairly heavily viewed, could not find out anything afterwards.

I hope they can air the first BC Place game, that would be a great advertisement for the league and the leos.

[notahomer]

Yahooo. IIRC, every CFL team save one got showcased on a NFLN game last season. Of course we don't have to say which team

Obviously won't be able to watch the live feed but no doubt the topics of Cam Wake and Stephen Black will come up at least. In terms of the history and special links to the NFL the late Bob Ackles certainly is another topic. IMO, I like the coverage and topics that come up in the various programs the NFLN offers so the fact they are willing to cover my favourite team in my favourite league is great.

[joe kapp22]

Yahooo. IIRC, every CFL team save one got showcased on a NFLN game last season. Of course we don't have to say which team

Obviously won't be able to watch the live feed but no doubt the topics of Cam Wake and Stephen Black will come up at least. In terms of the history and special links to the NFL the late Bob Ackles certainly is another topic. IMO, I like the coverage and topics that come up in the various programs the NFLN offers so the fact they are willing to cover my favourite team in my favourite league is great.

Well, I think I've found a way to be able to watch the feed on ESPN3, on gamedays if folks PM me.

And one would have to say that the ratings had to be good for NFLN to expand their coverage of the games, pity I read Ottawa won't be ready for play until 2014 though.

[B.C.FAN]

I have never heard what the viewership numbers were like, do you know offhand?

NFL Network averaged 80,000 viewers for CFL broadcasts last year. That's only 10 per cent of the average TSN audience in Canada but it's just slightly behind the NFL Network's average AFL audience (92,000) and a bit ahead of the average UFL audience (78,000) on Versus.

[joe kapp22]

I have never heard what the viewership numbers were like, do you know offhand?

NFL Network averaged 80,000 viewers for CFL broadcasts last year. That's only 10 per cent of the average TSN audience in Canada but it's just slightly behind the NFL Network's average AFL audience (92,000) and a bit ahead of the average UFL audience (78,000) on Versus.

We can do better then that surely, the AFL played on NFLN last season, as did the CFL, problem being the AFL played their full season we only played a 4 games (maybe 3?) which would seem to me to inhibit really getting interested in a team and following it for an entire season.

BTW, thanks for the information!

[Lions4ever]

Congrats should go to Commissioner Cohen. He said when he was first hired his goal was to get the CFL on the NFL Network; to introduce a comprehensive Drug Testing plan; and to clean-up the cheesy advertisements on the fields and jerseys. Well, two out of three isn't bad.

Those ads and patches degrade and cheapen the appearance of the league. Get on with the rest of the job, Commish.

[joe kapp22]

Congrats should go to Commissioner Cohen. He said when he was first hired his goal was to get the CFL on the NFL Network; to introduce a comprehensive Drug Testing plan; and to clean-up the cheesy advertisements on the fields and jerseys. Well, two out of three isn't bad.

Those ads and patches degrade and cheapen the appearance of the league. Get on with the rest of the job, Commish.

Kind of funny, the way I became a fan of the CFL was by watching Cam Wake games on Youtube, and the ads were...unique...I'd never seen giant inflatable Wendy's drink cups behind the end zone before and tbh, thought it was rather funny at the time.

Granted there is a clear cut benefit to the advertisements, more revenues, do feel they need some quality control on what is, and is not, worth the additional money into the coffers.

Did think the Rona banks patches were tasteful.

[Anglophone]

My favourite was the giant fake strips of bacon.

[notahomer]

There wasn't much on TV Saturday evening so I thought I'd take in the replay of the Stamps/Argos game on NFLN. I thought TSN having the Canadian rights meant we'd see the TSN feed if they were both showing a game at the same time. Nope. The NFLN showed other programming instead of the replay of the CFL game. Okay, now I know.

[cromartie]

The NFLN package isn't for Canadians, it's for Americans.

I'd much rather the NFLN have the rights to the games, which was a part of the 1999 renewal of the original 1997 loan, by the way, than the hodge podge of B Roll regional networks we've seen in previous years.

I'm a bit perturbed that we don't have a full season schedule and, when the lockout is resolved on time I'm not optimistic we'll see two games per week while the NFL regular season is in play.

But it's about the best deal we're going to get for US exposure. IIRC, ESPN3 will carry the TSN feed for all of the games online this year.

This strikes me as about the right deal.

Now then, let me hit the US Sirius site and look for the schedule of CFL games....... Nope. Nothing. Nada. But I find them if I hit the Sirius Canadian site and do a search for CFL. And lo and behold, they're doing what they should have done four years ago, broadcasting the radio feed of every game. About time. Of course, you're SOL if you have XM.....

[CFLFanfromVancouver]

a lot of americans I talk to on other boards are watching the CFL for the first time ever thanks to ESPN3...this is good news, the league is getting some great exposure...