Broadcating of CFL games

[dustintv]

I know NBC tried it back in the 1980s during an NFL strike and I know the minor network America One airs them today but have any of the major nets or ESPN ever considered attempting to broadcast CFL games in the US? Zero interest is probably the reason.

 

[azumanga]

ESPN did air CFL games in the mid-1990s, back when the CFL had a few teams in the US.

 

[nathannah]

ESPN does technically broadcast them on their online channel ESPN360. Of course it's a highly reduced audience, but at least it comes in a form that's better than low-powers.

 

[onairb]

The ESPN360 'telecasts' are merely the feed from TSN, minus most pregame, halftime, postgame, and Canadian advertising content.

 

[DToTheJ]

New York-based cable sports network SportsNet New York (SNY) airs the Grey Cup every year, with the intention of filler programming. I think they may actually air a CFL game here or there, but I am not sure.

 

[JayR]

A few of the RSNs carry the CFL. As for the Grey Cup: America One, which provides the feed to the RSNs, will air it on delay. The live feed may again be carried this season by Versus (nothing official).

 

[bpatrick]

NBC tried a series of Saturday-afternoon CFL
games in 1954, which didn't do bonkers against
ABC's NCAA games. There was also a syndicated
package (some stations airing the games live on
Wednesday nights, others showing them on tape
on the weekends) in the summer of 1972, but it
did so poorly it never finished out the season.

I can remember "Wide World Of Sports" carrying
the Grey Cup game, and whenever it was played
in Vancouver all you saw was fog, fog, and more
fog.

Perhaps the reason CFL football has never caught
on in the U.S. has to do with the different rules,
which I needn't get into since I'm sure most of you
know the main ones. The U.S. viewer has to make
some mental adjustments, and I'm not sure how many
even try.

 

[FreddyE1977]

my local America One LPTV affiliate dropped CFL games last year, which puzzles me because they have virtually nothing else in their lineup that would be worth watching. And we are just coming into the time of year when games from Edmonton are fun to watch!

If you have a sports package on the dish, you do get a number of games on regional sports channels like SNY and Altitude. Interestingly the games are only available on cable in Canada as well. TSN has an exclusive, as the CBC did not renew their bid for broadcast rights last time.

The toughest thing to get used to as an American viewer is the fact that there is no illegal motion.
When you see three guys moving forward before the snap your brain expects a whistle to blow and then the ensuing play tends to catch you off guard. I am told that the Canadian rules are actually closer to the way football was when it was invented. The NFL and NCAA have done much more tweaking over the years.

 

[JayR]

The toughest thing to get used to as an American viewer is the fact that there is no illegal motion.
When you see three guys moving forward before the snap your brain expects a whistle to blow and then the ensuing play tends to catch you off guard. I am told that the Canadian rules are actually closer to the way football was when it was invented. The NFL and NCAA have done much more tweaking over the years.

Unlimited motion in the backfield...

The NFL did the most tweaking.

 

[trusty]

NBC tried a series of Saturday-afternoon CFL games in 1954, which didn't do bonkers against ABC's NCAA games. There was also a syndicated package (some stations airing the games live on Wednesday nights, others showing them on tape on the weekends) in the summer of 1972, but it did so poorly it never finished out the season.

In 1965 or 66, when WSUN/38, St.Pete, was with ABC, it carried some CFL games because of the large number of Canadian tourists, but I don't think the feed was from ABC. It was then I got hooked on Canadian football - more wide open and just plain cool.

I can remember "Wide World Of Sports" carrying the Grey Cup game, and whenever it was played in Vancouver all you saw was fog, fog, and more fog.

Now, here's a memory: Grey Cup in Toronto. The fog rolled in so much that only the sideline cameras could be used, and the announcers in the booth relied on them as they couldn't see the action. On one play, a long pass was thrown into the fog, the camera panned over to where the receiver was running just in time to show him pulling it out of the fog - perfect position. The fans (who could see it) went crazy. Now, THAT was football. (They had to call the game and finish it later.)

Perhaps the reason CFL football has never caught on in the U.S. has to do with the different rules, which I needn't get into since I'm sure most of you know the main ones. The U.S. viewer has to make some mental adjustments, and I'm not sure how many even try.

Adjustments are easy to make. It's just that the money is not in it. I don't think Vegas follows it, and I've never seen a Canadian fantasy football team; but I'm probably wrong and would love for someone "up there" to provide input.

 

[cowboybud]

ESPN aired numerous CFL games in the early 80s, when it was starved for content.

 

[DToTheJ]

Yeah, that and "lumberjack competitions". They've come a long way from those type of programs, haven't they?

 

[bpatrick]

I've posted at least one retro with WSUN's telecasts
of CFL football; they were taped a week or two before
and edited down to two hours. You're right; the Tampa
Bay Area gets a lot of Canadian tourists, but I don't think
these telecasts were successful. WTOG was that market's
outlet for the '72 syndicated series of CFL games.

I also remember that Grey Cup game in Toronto. I keep
thinking it was Vancouver where the fog was always a
problem, but my memory isn't all that good on this, since
I had--at best--a passing (no pun, since CFL football relies
heavily on the pass, what with only three downs) interest
in the Canadian game.

 

[JeeperOne]

New York-based cable sports network SportsNet New York (SNY) airs the Grey Cup every year, with the intention of filler programming. I think they may actually air a CFL game here or there, but I am not sure.

Here in Denver, Altitude & most (If not nearly ALL) of the non-FSN RSOs around the country carry CFL games as their schedules allow. Usually this is via ESPN Syndication. If ESPN360 carries them as well, then someone here has more knowledge than I have on it.

Sometimes (Though RARELY since it's shared with CET on Comcast), Altitude may even put the CFL game on Altitude 2. Last week, they had a CFL game on at the same time as the Broncos-Ravens game. I have little doubt it was probably more entertaining than the Broncos-Ravens game on KCNC 4 (CBS) was :-[

Cheers

 

[Studio20]

Tampa Bay's Bright House Sports Network aired some of the games live early in the season, then they were bumped to tape delay once college and pro football started.

The league is desperately trying to get us Yanks to pony up net subscription fees to see the games online, but I don't see that making any profits.

Now that we are in the final regular season week of the year, I'm thinking espn360 will have all the games including the Grey Cup.