(Hamilton) The numbers were excellent in the three biggest markets of the Canadian Football League – Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver – after several difficult years and the commissioner of the circuit, Randy Ambrosie, can only be delighted.
Game day revenues are up 41.1% in Toronto, 13.5% in Montreal and 12.3% in Vancouver, while television ratings are up 14.6%, 3.2 % and 8.4% respectively in these three markets. Figures which are even more impressive when we particularly target viewers aged 25 to 54, the most popular on TV networks.
Ambrosie disclosed the numbers during his annual Gray Cup speech in Hamilton on Tuesday. Here, in brief, are some of the subjects addressed by the commissioner.
Q: To what do you attribute these increases?
A: “You have to take a step back and see where it started. And I think that comes with the purchase of the Alouettes by Pierre Karl Péladeau.
“When you add this first local owner for the Alouettes in almost 40 years to our other owners […], you can’t help but think of all the power these people have. It’s perhaps the most satisfying thing for me as commissioner to see all these owners pulling the league up. »
Q: Are you happy with the turnaround in the situation experienced in Montreal?
A: “When I spoke to Pierre Karl Péladeau for the first time last February, I saw that he was leading a professional organization and at every step, he demonstrated what a good partner he would be for the league . I think it paved the way for what they accomplished this season.
“Obviously you have to give credit to Danny Maciocia. The way he and “Coach” Maas put their team together, you have to be happy for them. […] I think we are at the start of a long series of successes for the Montreal Alouettes. »
Q: Many have criticized the schedule this season; will it stay the same?
A: “We will return to a balanced calendar from next year. We made this change at the end of the pandemic, when we were facing several challenges. But we will return to our balanced format.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is stadium availability. We want to make our calendar available as soon as possible after the season, but we must wait for responses from our clubs.
“We really enjoyed playing games from Thursday to Sunday this season. The results are convincing and the comments we receive are very positive. People like to have CFL four nights a week. »
Q: Could the season start or end earlier?
A: “Changing calendar dates is related to expansion. One of the benefits of adding a 10 team is that now we play 18 games in 21 weeks. We would play 18 games in 19 weeks with 10 teams, which means the Gray Cup would be played around November 7. »
Q: This time last year, you said that we would know more about the expansion project in Halifax. What about it?
A: “We are in discussions with a very qualified potential owner in the Maritimes. These discussions will continue this week. This case must have a conclusion at some point. We want to reach 10 teams and would like it to settle in Halifax, where we have had great success, with Touché Atlantique in particular. But I will say to this potential owner and everyone involved that we will have to decide whether to do it or not. And if we decide to do it, let’s do it. Otherwise, you will have to let go of this piece. […] I’m optimistic, but also realistic, and at some point we might have to move on. »
Q: The national anthem was only sung in English for the Eastern final, can the CFL guarantee that this will not happen again?
A: “I knew that the singer of the anthem [samedi dernier, à Toronto] couldn’t sing in both languages right before the start of the Eastern finals. We have the greatest respect for our French-speaking partners and supporters. We will have to review our procedures this winter. I was told that the chosen singer could not sing in French. We need to make sure that people who do it in the future can do it in both languages. We want to show our partners and supporters that we respect them. »
Q: Due to the crisis experienced by traditional media, some of your markets receive little or no coverage. Are you worried and what do you plan to do to remedy this situation?
A: “Certainly, we talk about it and think about it all the time. There is an erosion of the media that is currently occurring. But we need our story to be told. We have great people working internally, but we need the media. Maybe we will have to do more internally, but we don’t want this to affect the professional coverage of our clubs. We hope to continue to see many of you at our events and that the CFL is covered in a thoughtful and professional manner. »