Lionbackers.com

CANADIAN FOOTBALL TO BE AVAILALBE IN ALL U.S. MARKETS VIA REGIONAL SPORTS NETS AND THEIR SATELLITE DISTRIBUTORS

70 million television homes to have access to CFL: RSN coverage in 9 of top 12 U.S television markets; high-definition games carried by VOOM HD Networks’ WORLDSPORT HD on DISH Network





Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York, USA, June 13, 2007 – The Canadian Football League (CFL) announced today that its 2007 season games will be available across the United States in both high-definition and standard-definition broadcasts, kicking off with the season opener on June 28 and continuing through to the 95th Grey Cup championship in Toronto, Ontario on November 25.

CFL coverage is offered this year in nine of the top 12 U.S. television markets via eight Comcast regional sports networks, plus New England Sports Network (NESN). In addition, national coverage will be available via Altitude Sports and Entertainment, plus other regional sports networks carried on DirectTV and DISH Network. High-definition broadcasts will be offered on Echostar’s DISH Network via VOOM HD Networks’ WORLDSPORT HD.

Click here to view the US Broadcast Schedule.

Overall, more than 70 million U.S. homes will have access to CFL Football each week of the 2007 season.

Comcast RSNs and systems, plus NESN in Boston, Altitude Sports & Entertainment in Denver, Cox Sport Television Louisiana, Bright House Networks Catch 47 Tampa Bay Sports Television, and other regional sports networks will carry games in standard definition. These games will also be carried live on America One Television, which serves standard broadcast stations coast-to-coast.

Every Friday night, a CFL match-up will be televised exclusively in high-definition on VOOM HD Networks’ WORLDSPORT HD. The League’s East and West Semi-Finals, its East and West Championships, and the 95th Grey Cup will be available in both formats.

"Increasing exposure to our brand of football in the U.S.and internationally is an important initiative to further develop our League,â€

that is amazing ... on the face of it, it sounds like a great development -- more exposure, more revenue, grow the league, etc.

But ya never know.

Expansion to the US seemed like a good idea at the time. Right now the CFL is as good as I ever remember it being. Wide open, great athletes, attack style offense and defense.

The CFL is kind of a little cottage industry at present. If it got big, it might become conservative like the over-managed, overdone, boring NFL.

From the sounds of it, the CFL could actually garner better US tv ratings than the NHL! :lol:

From the sounds of it, the CFL could actually garner better US tv ratings than the NHL!

Thats for sure. I watch hockey because I played as a boy and grew up outside Detroit. But my sons never played, never lived in a hockey town. For them to watch an entire a game and see one goal - to them thats boring. Now the CFL - thats another issue - even without knowing someone who plays.

Friday Night Football will not be available to 99% of US fans once again. The lucky few hundred that actually get Worldsport HD can get the games but the rest of us are in the dark. Absolutely ridiculous!!! :x

Great move by the CFL might have some fans who moved down from Canada or could make some new ones in border towns plus NFL players might get a better understading of CFL rules and decide to come north if the money is right (I'm talking practice roster players and back-ups so don't flame me)

Garbage deal.

No Friday Night Football.

No games at all if you are not a dish owner, or live outside of the top 10 markets.

For the fourth year now, if I had not made alternate arrangements, I would have zero access to CFL games in my market.

cromartie wrote:Garbage deal.

No Friday Night Football.

No games at all if you are not a dish owner, or live outside of the top 10 markets.

For the fourth year now, if I had not made alternate arrangements, I would have zero access to CFL games in my market.

But this is not Canada where one station has national access to every market. I am not well versed but the only network I can think of is ESPN, and they won't even carry hockey. Don't you think it will take time to grow to the point where games are regularly shown live? I say give it 10 years and see how it is, if the growth and stability the league has seen continues.

MacNews wrote:

cromartie wrote:Garbage deal.

No Friday Night Football.

No games at all if you are not a dish owner, or live outside of the top 10 markets.

For the fourth year now, if I had not made alternate arrangements, I would have zero access to CFL games in my market.

But this is not Canada where one station has national access to every market. I am not well versed but the only network I can think of is ESPN, and they won't even carry hockey. Don't you think it will take time to grow to the point where games are regularly shown live? I say give it 10 years and see how it is, if the growth and stability the league has seen continues.

It's a catch-22. You can't grow the game if you can't get eyes in front of the game to grow it.

So, again, if you're not a dish owner, don't live in markets 1 through 10, and can't lean out the window with a tinfoil antenna to get an America One station, you're SOL.

cromartie wrote:

MacNews wrote:

cromartie wrote:Garbage deal.

No Friday Night Football.

No games at all if you are not a dish owner, or live outside of the top 10 markets.

For the fourth year now, if I had not made alternate arrangements, I would have zero access to CFL games in my market.

But this is not Canada where one station has national access to every market. I am not well versed but the only network I can think of is ESPN, and they won't even carry hockey. Don't you think it will take time to grow to the point where games are regularly shown live? I say give it 10 years and see how it is, if the growth and stability the league has seen continues.

It's a catch-22. You can't grow the game if you can't get eyes in front of the game to grow it.

So, again, if you're not a dish owner, don't live in markets 1 through 10, and can't lean out the window with a tinfoil antenna to get an America One station, you're SOL.

You can always pay for the CFL.ca broadband service of the game, at a lessor cost if you wait until after the game as well.

Rammer wrote:You can always pay for the CFL.ca broadband service of the game, at a lessor cost if you wait until after the game as well.

Even Friday Night Football broadband service was blacked out in the U.S. last year because of the exclusive HD contract. Only archived games were available.

B.C.FAN wrote:

Rammer wrote:You can always pay for the CFL.ca broadband service of the game, at a lessor cost if you wait until after the game as well.

Even Friday Night Football broadband service was blacked out in the U.S. last year because of the exclusive HD contract. Only archived games were available.

Hmmm....that does pose a problem, but I guess hearing the outcome is a non issue and the game is cheaper once it is archived. Not the best and of course at an extra cost to the bottom line, but an option.

Rammer wrote:
You can always pay for the CFL.ca broadband service of the game, at a lessor cost if you wait until after the game as well.

It's academic to me, as I have multiple different ways of accessing the games. But if you want to make the case that this deal contributes to the ability of the casual American fan to catch on to the game (and you aren't, but some other posters are )you're kidding yourself.

As I've posted before, I made other arrangements a year or two ago to get the games, so I get the games. But if I hadn't, I'd be left high and dry without the online option.

Does anyown know if I can sign up using my shaw.ca email and ISP for a Friday Night game, and then log onto the game from somewhere using a US ISP?

Mightybuck, did you get a way to make it work last year?