As of this writing, the NFL is planning to forge ahead with its 2020 season, as scheduled. North of the border, in the CFL, it’s not quite as likely.
[RELATED: NFL Lays Out Plan For Reopening Facilities]
“Our best-case scenario for this year is a drastically truncated season,” commissioner Randy Ambrosie told Canada’s House of Commons (via The Associated Press). “And our most likely scenario is no season at all…Ours is a big brand but not a wealthy business. Unlike large U.S.-based leagues, our biggest source of revenue is not TV — it’s ticket sales.”
Ambrosie explained that the government’s measures to protect the public against COVID 19 “have made it impossible” for the CFL to operate. The NFL and professional sports leagues all across North America are faced with similar obstacles, though they’re better equipped to handle them from a financial standpoint. In 2019, Ambrosie says the CFL lost $20MM. The NFL, meanwhile, took in roughly $16 billion in revenue with profits skyrocketing past their operating costs. Much of that money, as Ambrosie said, comes from lucrative TV deals.
With that in mind, the CFL isn’t necessarily a canary in the coal mine for the NFL. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the NFL has to test players early and often in order to play games, but that’s a feasible expense for Roger Goodell & Co., thanks to the TV money.
just another rash reaction by Canada. this virus is very much an issue but it seems their entire country has packed it in for the year in every respect.
Your comments are generally well thought out but how is putting fan safety and welfare above the greed of a few owners rash? Everyone knows the Canadians cherish hockey far more than football. They survived when the NHL cancelled the 2004-5 season and they can survive this.
actually didnt realize until now that the league started so early in the year. my mistake.
I’ve made some pretty nice mistakes on here myself.
maybe do some research before you comment then
Or, maybe have a little grace and acknowledge that the poster owned up…
rash? well canada pretty much handle this better than we are in the US. everyone want to cry and want to rush everything. while places like canada will do what ever it take for it safey and even give a little back to it people to help till things are back to normal.
Oh so you want people to sit home & go broke? Over a bullshit virus that isn’t half as bad as it’s being made out to be. Stupid ass Canadians & their CFL can go bankrupt.
Ya like you dumb ass Americans who have the most cases in the world now hey. Moronic comment by a small minded idiot
Is that my little nephew I hear?
He didn’t have the makings of a varsity athlete
You stupid fu&k. You don’t know how many cases the US has! The numbers being told are so exaggerated.
CFL has been around for over 100 years. So it has been fairly durable and hopefully it will survive this.
Wouldn’t surprise me if this was the end of the cfl, the nfl always wants to go international Canada would be the perfect starting point
but with out the CFL there wouldnt be some of the great in the NFL that came from there.
Joe Theismann, Warren Moon to name two quarterback who had championship seasons in the CFL and came back to win MVP/All-Pro or Super Bowl titles.
Lot of NFL fans in Canada but they actually prefer the unique format of their own game. 3 downs, wider field, quick pace, lots of offense and exciting special teams play. You would have no luck trying to convince Toronto Argo fans that Buffalo would make a better rival than the Hamilton Tiger Cats.