On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a reporter that the country is working with the CFL on potential financial assistance during the coronavirus outbreak. CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie told the Canadian Press that it was seeking as much as $150 million in aid, $30 million upfront, and $120 million if the season is canceled.
The nine-team league was set to kick off the 2020 season in June, but because of the coronavirus outbreak, the season has been pushed back to early July. But, with many cities closing due to the virus, the league may not start till September. While the league is hoping that the country will help them, many are not too happy about this news.
The league has been under scrutiny from many people and it hopes that the league does not get any assistance. This isn’t the first time the CFL has been in a financial crisis. In the years between 1993 through 1995, the league allowed expansion into the United States so they could use the expansion fees to keep the league afloat. Some CFL USA teams only lasted two years with the Baltimore Stallions being the only American team to win the Grey Cup.
In 1996, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats took on the Toronto Argonauts in Grey Cup 84 because the league didn’t have money to pay the players for both teams. Tim Horton’s stepped in and provided the league with the funds to pay the players. In 2003, both teams met in the infamous Bankruptcy Bowl because neither team had an owner. Luckily for both teams, they have owners today.
The problem with this league is unlike the NFL, whose source of income comes from television revenue, the CFL relies on ticket sales as its primary source of income. The league will not start their season unless fans are allowed to attend. The league has been around since 1958 and has failed to adapt its business plan to the changing times. You have to look at the history of this league and wonder why hasn’t it folded. Their business model must change if they want to stick around.
Just some examples of helping to generate income is to increase tv revenue it receives. Air the games on more networks. An option would be to have the East Division air only on TSN and the West Division air only on CBC and a national game of the week on Rogers Sportsnet. Right there, you would have three networks airing your games and potentially add more income for the league.
Another issue with the league is keeping and promoting players. The CFL has a hard time keeping its best players because they want a shot at a big payday in the NFL. While there is nothing wrong with a player wanting to cash in on their talent, the CFL, especially fans, don’t follow the team as close because they know the top players are not sticking around for the long haul. Why invest in a team when you don’t even know who’s on the team? They need to find a way to bring the players in, keep them, and promote them. Find additional revenue sources with advertising.
The CFL also has a problem from a merchandising standpoint. If you visit any of the nine teams’ shops or even the CFL shop, you can’t even buy a shirt of your favorite team from 3xl and up. They only sell up to 2xl. While some love to purchase hats for their favorite teams, it would be nice to buy a big and tall shirt or a jersey of their favorite player or, better yet, a customized jersey.
Another idea the league could look into is an adjustment to their schedule. Instead of starting the season in June, they could start it a couple of months earlier. We all know that once October hits, Canada can get cold fast, and by moving the season up, they have a chance to sustain long-term growth in the future.
The CFL is an essential league for many, especially players. It would be catastrophic if a league like the CFL folded as there wouldn’t be any outdoor football leagues other than the NFL left. Indoor football leagues are out there for players, but due to low pay, they don’t attract and keep the best players.
The only way to reach the NFL is by participating in an outdoor league. If the CFL continues to ignore their problems and resists adapting to the current way of bringing in the revenue they will find themselves in the history books.
