CFL on USA broadcasts this year?

[Fez]

It used to be fairly easy to find CFL games on regional sports networks in the USA -- at least until the NFL regular season started. But for whatever reason that ended last year and I missed the CFL on TV. Any news on whether CFL games will be broadcast in the United States this year? The season is less than a month away...

Thanks.

[robster2001]

America One holds the US broadcast rights to CFL games.

Some RSNs are renting the rights in their markets - you might also want to check the Comcast Network if you have one, as they're airing other America One sporting events.

[Fez]

America One had the rights last year too, didn't they. It basically meant that none of the regional sports networks I get on my DirectTV service had the CFL. America One appears to be a program provider that serves small regional stations in the old UHF style. Hardly a legitimate way to really expose the CFL to American football fans.

Is America One confirmed as the only outlet for 2009?

[wellington]

I wish the CFL was on TV here in the US. With all the cable/satellite channels out there -- you'd think somebody would pick up the feed.

[robster2001]

America One has a 2009 schedule on their website: http://www.americaone.com/show/CFL/2009_Schedule.htm

It's unclear who, if anyone, will be buying the games. Given the schedule, most RSNs will be carrying baseball in the CFL timeslots for at least the first 13 weeks of the season, so... I think CFL fans will be relying on tape-delay and DVR.

[Fez]

Thanks for the info Robster. I live in a huge city but the only stations carrying "America One" programming in my state are local UHF stations that have some limited local cable. For example, the closest city to Phoenix with America One programing is in Casa Grande and is on UHF 28 (which I cannot pick up in PHX) and a local golf resort cable and some other cable not available in PHX. Very, very limited access. As for the Regional Sports Networks, very few of them showed any CFL games last year --and I don't think any did once the NFL preseason began.

http://www.kcab28.com/

[Shootmaster_44]

The reason you have a hard time finding the CFL on US TV, is that in an effort to sound big time, they signed a deal with ESPN. I believe all games are available on ESPN360, their 'net only channel. Though with the Grey Cup being played on Versus, I wonder if that means the CFL is exploring that as an option too?

All I can say is I'm glad I live in Canada and get the entire regular season and playoffs on TSN, with replays of the games showing 3 hours later on TSN2. Plus being a two and a half hour drive from Regina I will take in 5 games this year.

If any AFL/NCAA fans have any players on the Stampeders or Riders they want me to take a look at on the 23rd, let me know I will put together a scouting report on them. I can't guarantee it will be anything special, but I will let you know how they looked etc.

[Irving Thomas]

You mean ESPN360 is available on the net? Is it free?

[robster2001]

ESPN360 is free... *if* your Internet provider pays ESPN to carry it.

Most major cablecos don't provide it (although Comcast is picking it up on August 1).

It is free to anyone accessing the Net from a college campus or military institution.

Details - http://www.espn360.com

[utahstarsticketholder]

You can find games on the internet by going to justintv. com many fans stream it on the internet. Good luck.

[jeffspitaleri]

I checked the ESPN360.com schedule because they are available through AT&T and I would say of the four games each weekend, usually two of them are on there.

I was even able to go back and watch an archived game from Week 1 and the quality was really good, so I will be enjoying some CFL football this summer!

Here is the Webcast schedule through August 28 with more to be added...

http://www.cfl.ca/page/webcast-schedule

Here is their website to order all the games to watch online that are not broadcast in the US on ESPN360.com.

http://cfl-us.insinc.com/

*Note - The games on ESPN360 are blacked out on the CFL online thing.

[Geoff]

If y'all have Cox Sports Television, they carry the games on there. I'm not sure if they'll carry every TSN televised game but in week 1 they carried 3 games.

[Shootmaster_44]

If y'all have Cox Sports Television, they carry the games on there. I'm not sure if they'll carry every TSN televised game but in week 1 they carried 3 games.

That's 3 of the 4 games TSN had. Its sporadic depending which US network is carrying the games. I assume the game that wasn't carried on Cox was the second half of the doubleheader on Canada Day.