Leos Blackout Policy

[Luke]

Obviously, this doesn't affect me because I live in Saskatchewan, but I'm just curious what the blackout policy is? I grew up in rural-central interior British Columbia, and I don't ever remember games being blacked out where I live. Is it within a certain mileage of the City of Vancouver?

[Rammer]

Obviously, this doesn't affect me because I live in Saskatchewan, but I'm just curious what the blackout policy is? I grew up in rural-central interior British Columbia, and I don't ever remember games being blacked out where I live. Is it within a certain mileage of the City of Vancouver?

Generally anything outside of an hours drive isn't blacked out. If you lived in the interior growing up as I did, you just didn't get games in BC Place. That changed in the last couple of seasons with 95% of the games being televised to the current level of 100%. I am pretty sure that anyone in Chilliwack can view the games on TV without a blackout effect.

[leeinq]

Yes, its a kilometer thing for every team except Sask, which has a province wide blackout. PS. I am another former BCer living in Sask!

[Kirk is #1]

Yes, its a kilometer thing for every team except Sask, which has a province wide blackout. PS. I am another former BCer living in Sask!

And for Montreal, which because of the small stadium is 100% sold out every game and therefore the blackout doesn't apply.......

Games at the Big Owe are always broadcast even though they aren't sold out...easiest game to get tickets too, btw, season ticket holders hate going there and always good tickets available....

[B.C.FAN]

Generally anything outside of an hours drive isn't blacked out. If you lived in the interior growing up as I did, you just didn't get games in BC Place. That changed in the last couple of seasons with 95% of the games being televised to the current level of 100%. I am pretty sure that anyone in Chilliwack can view the games on TV without a blackout effect.

The standard CFL blackout policy is a 56-kilometre radius from the stadium for cable TV and 120 kilometres for CBC.

I know people in Mission and Abbotsford who have successfuly had the blackout lifted after convincing Shaw Cable that they are more than 56 kilometres from B.C. Place. The centres of both communities are about 60 kilometres away as the crow flies. I don't know if the blackout is lifted for everyone in those communities or just those who demand it.

[Ravi]

Games in Toronto and Hamilton are NOT blacked out. The funny thing is that attendance has increased considerably in Hamilton where games were blacked out as recently as 2002. Toronto doesn't appear to have suffered from the lifting of blackouts either. As they say here in southern Ontario, games being televised locally are the best three-hour advertisement that you can get.

[David]

As they say here in southern Ontario, games being televised locally are the best three-hour advertisement that you can get.

Not lately!

Bob Ackles reluctantly came on the TEAM1040 to defend club policy on this issue last Friday. It's quite obvious he's very "old school" when it comes to television and the media: it's a gate-driven league, so buy a ticket, come to the game, and to hell with you if you can't make it down to watch the team in person. I can sort of see his point as TSN/CBC televises all of our away games, giving the club ample exposure.

But he doesn't seem in a hurry to develop any type of pay-per-view arrangement and seemed only mildly sympathetic to those for whom a Friday or Saturday night game means either a long drive/ferry home or an overnight stay.

He bristled at Marjanovich's notion that afternoon games are the way to go ("we'd have 15,000 in the stands") and even seemed slightly prickly about not being able to sell out recent West Finals given the fact that games were played at 1:00pm. Still, kudos to him for taking calls on this matter. Those living in the outskirts that follow the club are quite passionate about lifting the blackouts!

DH 8)

[Luke]

Generally anything outside of an hours drive isn't blacked out. If you lived in the interior growing up as I did, you just didn't get games in BC Place. That changed in the last couple of seasons with 95% of the games being televised to the current level of 100%. I am pretty sure that anyone in Chilliwack can view the games on TV without a blackout effect.

The standard CFL blackout policy is a 56-kilometre radius from the stadium for cable TV and 120 kilometres for CBC.

I know people in Mission and Abbotsford who have successfuly had the blackout lifted after convincing Shaw Cable that they are more than 56 kilometres from B.C. Place. The centres of both communities are about 60 kilometres away as the crow flies. I don't know if the blackout is lifted for everyone in those communities or just those who demand it.

Thanks for the info. My brother lives in Abbotsford, so maybe I'll check with him about whether he has to request the blackout be lifted, or not.

[hexx]

Games in Toronto and Hamilton are NOT blacked out. The funny thing is that attendance has increased considerably in Hamilton where games were blacked out as recently as 2002. Toronto doesn't appear to have suffered from the lifting of blackouts either. As they say here in southern Ontario, games being televised locally are the best three-hour advertisement that you can get.

So with Montreal never blacked out and Winnipeg selling out the last few games, only the West Division is being blacked out right now?

The myth that the blackout is a "league policy" (frequently referenced in the local media) needs to die....

[Luke]

There is a league policy on blackouts and all clubs adhere to it. Each club must lift the blackout to two games each season. If the stadium is 95% soldout, 24 hours before kickoff, then the broadcaster can demand that the blackout be lifted. Teams can also elect to lift the blackout to any game, if they choose.

There is little evidence that televising home games has any effect on walkup ticket sales or generates revenue for the home club in any way. There is a slight increase in TV ratings when the home blackouts are lifted, but the league has their TV revenues locked in for the next 6 years. There is some evidence that lifting the blackouts when the stadium is not sold out will lead to a softening of the season ticket base over a period of time.

All that matters to CFL teams is that fans continue to buy season's tickets and casual fans continue buy walkup tickets. GM's cannot take a chance on alienating their ticket-buying fans by lifting the blackouts when the stadium is not sold out. The "promotional" aspect is just not a factor.

Thats interesting, because Jim Hopson, the Riders President and CEO was on the radio last week talking about how he says they have solid evidence that ticket sales come to a standstill if they lift their blackouts. He said that for their home opener, if their had been no blackout, attendance might have been in the 22k range, as opposed to the 26-27k that actually showed up.

[Zarquon]

There is a league policy on blackouts and all clubs adhere to it. Each club must lift the blackout to two games each season. If the stadium is 95% soldout, 24 hours before kickoff, then the broadcaster can demand that the blackout be lifted. Teams can also elect to lift the blackout to any game, if they choose.

There is little evidence that televising home games has any effect on walkup ticket sales or generates revenue for the home club in any way. There is a slight increase in TV ratings when the home blackouts are lifted, but the league has their TV revenues locked in for the next 6 years. There is some evidence that lifting the blackouts when the stadium is not sold out will lead to a softening of the season ticket base over a period of time.

All that matters to CFL teams is that fans continue to buy season's tickets and casual fans continue buy walkup tickets. GM's cannot take a chance on alienating their ticket-buying fans by lifting the blackouts when the stadium is not sold out. The "promotional" aspect is just not a factor.

Thats interesting, because Jim Hopson, the Riders President and CEO was on the radio last week talking about how he says they have solid evidence that ticket sales come to a standstill if they lift their blackouts. He said that for their home opener, if their had been no blackout, attendance might have been in the 22k range, as opposed to the 26-27k that actually showed up.

Bobby Ackles was on the radio here in Vancouver and echoed the same thing as far as the attendance. He also mentioned that they control the blackout by telephone area code.

[hexx]

The myth that the blackout is a "league policy" (frequently referenced in the local media) needs to die....

There is a league policy on blackouts and all clubs adhere to it. Each club must lift the blackout to two games each season. If the stadium is 95% soldout, 24 hours before kickoff, then the broadcaster can demand that the blackout be lifted.

Except that, according to Ravi, Hamilton and Toronto have not blacked out any games since 2002. I'm sure that they have not met the ticket sales requirements for every game during that time.

Teams can also elect to lift the blackout to any game, if they choose.

If this is true, it contradicts what you just said. According to this statement, the policy is simply that the blackout is entirely optional, regardless of ticket sales.

[Rammer]

The myth that the blackout is a "league policy" (frequently referenced in the local media) needs to die....

There is a league policy on blackouts and all clubs adhere to it. Each club must lift the blackout to two games each season. If the stadium is 95% soldout, 24 hours before kickoff, then the broadcaster can demand that the blackout be lifted.

Except that, according to Ravi, Hamilton and Toronto have not blacked out any games since 2002. I'm sure that they have not met the ticket sales requirements for every game during that time.

Teams can also elect to lift the blackout to any game, if they choose.

If this is true, it contradicts what you just said. According to this statement, the policy is simply that the blackout is entirely optional, regardless of ticket sales.

The teams have the option on the blackouts, although they are obligated to lift two blackouts per season, and of course any game that reaches 90% capacity 24 hours prior to game time. Since the Lions are banking on the gate to gain their revenue, they aren't as receptive to lifting the balckout like Montreal/Toronto/Hamiton. They are also getting wise in the last two seasons to not just lift the lame duck games like the Hamilton game, and are counting on a great matchup and a large crowd to both take advantage of the blackout lifting.

[Supersonicsfreak]

So will this Thursday's game be blacked out?