The CFL is shutting it down, ay.
Canadian football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie just announced there will be NO games 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, the CFL is “shifting its focus to 2021 and beyond.”
“Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future,” the Commish said.
“We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL.”
Longo story short, the CFL says unlike the NFL, it relies HEAVILY on the revenue from live attendance — AKA “fans in the stands.”
And, with pandemic protocols limiting the amount of people allowed to gather at one location, the league realized it didn’t make sense to push forward this season.
“Unlike US-based leagues that can count on television or streaming to provide the lion’s share of their revenue, the CFL depends heavily on its live gate,” the league said in a statement.
CFL honchos had been working plans for a shortened season in a bubble style environment in Winnipeg — but again, the money just wasn’t there to justify the costs.
The league was hoping the Canadian govt. would help out with the costs to keep the sport going — but it never panned out.
“Despite months of discussions, the government ultimately declined the CFL’s appeal for financial support,” the league says.
See ya next year …
