Most important topic not discussed by Canadian soccer community

[dyslexic nam]

1 hour ago, masster said:

The reason Champions League is on DAZN and not TSN, is because DAZN outbid TSN and is paying UEFA more money than they received previously. So even though the exposure of the UEFA Champions League has dropped in Canada, Canada is now generating more revenue for UEFA than it did in the past.

Now...is this good for the growth of the sport on the whole? Of course not. But UEFA and the EPL don't care about that.

For sure.  But in the context of recent developments domestically, I think CPL probably should care about that.  And while the OP doesn't mention them specifically, I think it is significant.  Of course, that has been pretty well hashed out in the CPL TV thread.

[masster]

28 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

For sure.  But in the context of recent developments domestically, I think CPL probably should care about that.  And while the OP doesn't mention them specifically, I think it is significant.  Of course, that has been pretty well hashed out in the CPL TV thread.

Of course. I think they do care, which is why I believe CPL will do whatever they can to get on mainstream TV as much as possible. They realize the value of that exposure. At the same time they need to focus on using their media rights to generate revenue.

I'm sure they have analysed many cost/benefit scenarios.

[toontownman]

If Dazn isnt part of most cable packages as an add on come August I will be completely and utterly shocked. 

The cable companies will be falling over themselves to get dazn on board to keep sports fans and why wouldnt dazn let them.

 Pretty sure there is a lot of panic over nothing except more money being taken out of the general publics wallet. 

Really we are 10-15 behind on this argument which arguably should be about public access and CBC letting tsn/sportsnet get everything as they are subscription just like dazn. 

[RS]

2 hours ago, toontownman said:

If Dazyn isnt part of most cable packages as an add on come August I will be completely and utterly shocked.

Dazyn may be part of cable packages in August, but DAZN won't be.

[toontownman]

44 minutes ago, RS said:

Dazyn may be part of cable packages in August, but DAZN won't be.

Thanks. Any reason you have certainty DAZN won't appear on cable as well as streaming or just opinion?

[Macksam]

Well, I guess the silver lining is we’ll be able to catch most Bayern Munich games next year and the number of Bundesliga fans should grow in this country.

[Ruud]

15 hours ago, masster said:

The reason Champions League is on DAZN and not TSN, is because DAZN outbid TSN and is paying UEFA more money than they received previously. So even though the exposure of the UEFA Champions League has dropped in Canada, Canada is now generating more revenue for UEFA than it did in the past.

Now...is this good for the growth of the sport on the whole? Of course not. But UEFA and the EPL don't care about that.

This is where I disagree.  Yes, UEFA gets a nice bid from DAZN, and in the true nature of winning bidder gets the lot, I have no problem with that.  Where I would argue is that those same providers of content are trying to grow the game, the viewers, and those who passively watch and may become fans.  There is a risk of segmenting the market too much.  This is why Sportsnet keeps some hockey content on CBC (okay, it's not costing them much, and it highway robbery, but still).  So I guess what I'm saying is I would have expected a deal to have DAZN get rights, but TSN and Sportsnet to keep rights to certain matches and continue to grow the sports viewership.  

I see the point about the future of content, and viewership, but until a market is saturated with online viewers, the move is still risky.  Champions League may decline as a valued content in the future in this country. 

 

 

 

[RS]

18 hours ago, toontownman said:

Thanks. Any reason you have certainty DAZN won't appear on cable as well as streaming or just opinion?

Because it's already been in Canada for nearly two years, and DAZN hasn't gone the cable/satellite route in any of the other countries it's in.

[toontownman]

7 minutes ago, RS said:

Because it's already been in Canada for nearly two years, and DAZN hasn't gone the cable/satellite route in any of the other countries it's in.

I dont think that will stop cable companies knocking in the door and they would be stupid not to. Likewise it only stands to benefit DAZN as they will get far greater numbers if its available through cable imo. 

The EPL is a game changer for them here. They will pick up much greater numbers regardless of how it is available. 

[RS]

10 minutes ago, toontownman said:

I dont think that will stop cable companies knocking in the door and they would be stupid not to. Likewise it only stands to benefit DAZN as they will get far greater numbers if its available through cable imo. 

The EPL is a game changer for them here. They will pick up much greater numbers regardless of how it is available. 

DAZN already has the NFL, which is much bigger here than the EPL.

In fairness, they've allowed Sunday ticket and a handful of other games to be broadcast on regular TV, but I think that was because of a pre-existing agreement with the NFL rather than DAZN wanting to let traditional TV in on the fun.

[Ruffian]

2 hours ago, toontownman said:

I dont think that will stop cable companies knocking in the door and they would be stupid not to. Likewise it only stands to benefit DAZN as they will get far greater numbers if its available through cable imo. 

The EPL is a game changer for them here. They will pick up much greater numbers regardless of how it is available. 

There is no DAZN channel that they could put on cable, it is all just on demand and live games. They could potentially license the content to TSN or Sportsnet.

[red card]

DAZN only got the Canada Sunday ticket rights from cable. Sunday Ticket is only for the harder core NFL fans which may be more than the whole EPL viewership base in Canada. But not a game changer for NFL viewing in Canada since you can still watch at least 5 games a week + all the playoffs on tv.  Some games went back to some cable companies because DAZN's stream quality was so bad.

DAZN Canada does have the highest variety of programming compared to what they offer in other countries. So adding EPL is another step closer to be like TSN/Sportsnet. For footy fans, adding EPL is a game changer since it is the most regularly watched football league in Canada. And other than seeing 10-15 matches on NBC, you are shut out in watching it legally. Add in Champions League, Championship, la Liga, MLS, ligue 1, Serie A, Asian nation matches and maybe CPL, DAZN has more football covered than any other option. 

On the newer Smart tvs, the DAZN app is preloaded. So, it's as easy as watching cable. But as cable companies offer promos for 6 months free Netflix, I can see DAZN getting the same deal if it becomes bigger - will need NHL or Canada hockey.

 

[Kent]

2 hours ago, Ruffian said:

There is no DAZN channel that they could put on cable, it is all just on demand and live games. They could potentially license the content to TSN or Sportsnet.

I've got cable through Bell Fibe, and it has things like Netflix available. You go to a channel (or an app through an on screen menu) and then bam, you are using Netflix. You are going through Netflix's menu, searching, whatever. So you can have things like DAZN available through modern cable providers. There are plenty of other on demand "channels" like this as well. I imagine that is what toontownman was suggesting.

[Bertuzzi44]

Unless it's a Canada match I don't usually go out of my way to watch soccer, and so having the games on cable was easy/accessible for me, and was how I would usually catch EPL/CL/MLS games. Sucks that content seems to be moving.

Also, I may be dating myself here, but I used to watch this show RELIGIOUSLY!   ---->

 

[A_Gagne]

On 3/11/2019 at 10:41 AM, Ruud said:

• Champions League not on TSN or Sportsnet
• EPL not on TSN or Sportsnet starting next year
• CPL not on TSN or Sportsnet
• What's next?  MLS?

Is it me, or is this an emerging crisis for soccer in Canada (in addition to making hard core fans buy new subscriptions)  How will we grow the game in Canada without average sports fans having exposure to soccer games and highlights.  Why is no one discussing this?  And more importantly, what are all the soccer media guys going to do next year? 

 

 

I get the importance of keeping soccer specific journalists gainfully employed, but at the same time I've been a watching CL and EPL for over 20 years now on these networks and I really can't say having network TV coverage has ever done anything positive for our domestic game.

I like watching Euro footie as much as the next guy on here, but I'm personally not loosing any sleep over this... streaming services like DAZN are the way of the future, and who knows, maybe domestic soccer content will fill the network TV void. Rogers/Bell do own TFC after all.

[dyslexic nam]

8 hours ago, A_Gagne said:

I get the importance of keeping soccer specific journalists gainfully employed, but at the same time I've been a watching CL and EPL for over 20 years now on these networks and I really can't say having network TV coverage has ever done anything positive for our domestic game.

I would argue that the increased awareness of the global game, due in large part to the ever growing footprint of footy on TV, has directly led to the conditions that allow the creation of a pro domestic league here in Canada, with precursors in MLS.  Without the kind of casual exposure that wins fans over and provides them with ready access to raise their footy interest, I doubt we would be anticipating CPL kicking its first ball next month.  Hard to extract cause and effect in this issue (TV exposure and growing interest) but i am quite confident that they are very much related.

[red card]

15 hours ago, A_Gagne said:

I get the importance of keeping soccer specific journalists gainfully employed, but at the same time I've been a watching CL and EPL for over 20 years now on these networks and I really can't say having network TV coverage has ever done anything positive for our domestic game.

 

It can easily be said that the domestic supporters culture is the direct result of being exposed to Euro leagues and WC. TFC wouldn't have been named TFC. And the main reason casuals attended in the first 7 years or so was because of the atmosphere created by the supporters groups. This led to Impact & Whitecaps entering MLS. And now CPL.

And pre TFC, there was no such thing as a match day Voyageurs supporters culture. Canada matches were routinely culture homecoming festivals for the visiting national team.

[ted]

3 hours ago, red card said:

And pre TFC, there was no such thing as a match day Voyageurs supporters culture. Canada matches were routinely culture homecoming festivals for the visiting national team.

That's some bullshit right there. I seem to remember some great "match day Voyageurs supporters culture" in Edmonton long before TFC was created. We drove a vanload from Vancouver to Edmonton, met up at the pub, hob-nobbed with Mrs Stalteiri and dealt with an invader from the away fans by chanting, 'Tas-er, tas-er" as we pointed at him, to the disapproving look of a female cop. 

[A_Gagne]

On 3/14/2019 at 7:53 AM, dyslexic nam said:

I would argue that the increased awareness of the global game, due in large part to the ever growing footprint of footy on TV, has directly led to the conditions that allow the creation of a pro domestic league here in Canada, with precursors in MLS.  Without the kind of casual exposure that wins fans over and provides them with ready access to raise their footy interest, I doubt we would be anticipating CPL kicking its first ball next month.  Hard to extract cause and effect in this issue (TV exposure and growing interest) but i am quite confident that they are very much related.

Yeah fair points, and like you said hard to extract cause and effect. Highly possible that it also contributed to a hardcore inferiority complex, and very different times but don't think the original NASL needed euro leagues on network TV to bring in a golden (but unfortunately fleeting) age of soccer in North America.

[dyslexic nam]

I don't think we have an "inferiority complex".  I think we have a justified recognition that we are actually inferior at this sport and need to make substantial progress to compete.  That isn't some delusion - it is clearly demonstrated every four years when we watch a Canada-less World Cup.