NBC to broadcast six Eskimos games, playoffs
VANCOUVER – The Canadian Football League is back on American television.
NBC Sports Network will carry nine CFL regular-season games this year, including six games involving the Edmonton Eskimos, along with the playoffs and the 100th Grey Cup, in Toronto on Nov. 25.
“We’re proud to share one of the biggest events in the long and storied history of our league with our fans south of the border,” CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a Friday news release.
“A U.S. telecast agreement with NBC Sports Network, will help us market our league in the U.S., recruit import players, and spread our brand of football.”
The first game picked up by the network will be the Eskimos-Toronto Argonauts game at Rogers Centre on Aug. 27. The Eskimos will face the Calgary Stampeders three times in games to air on NBC Sports Network.
Eskimos president and CEO Len Rhodes said it was a fortunate coincidence that the Eskimos feature prominently in the broadcasts.
“It’s extremely good,” Rhodes said. “(The deal) was for the league to get exposure south of the border and the fact that we got six out of nine, that’s just remarkable.
“Hopefully a lot of Americans will see the Eskimos as Canada’s team.”
Rhodes agreed with Cohon, saying that the U.S. exposure can help draw players to the CFL.
“For the game itself, (assistant general manager and director of player personnel) Paul Jones and (head scout) Ed Hervey have always told me the importance of getting players to have an awareness of the CFL south of the border so that a) they know, ‘Where’s Canada?’ and b) they know there’s another league and that there are opportunities,” Rhodes said. “That in itself is the most important aspect of having the exposure south of the border.”
The regular-season broadcast schedule follows, with all times Mountain, includes:
Monday, Aug. 27, Edmonton at Toronto, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31, B.C. at Montreal, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 3, Toronto at Hamilton, 11 a.m.
Monday, Sept. 3, Edmonton at Calgary, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 7, Calgary at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 5, Hamilton at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 19, Edmonton at B.C., 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 1 Hamilton at Toronto, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 2, Calgary at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
The CFL divisional semifinals will air on Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Divisional finals will air at 4:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Nov. 18. The Grey Cup will air live at 4 p.m. on Nov. 25.
Rhodes is optimistic the Esks will get even more TV exposure as the season progresses.
“I’ll certainly celebrate the fact that we have six out of nine and hopefully we’re in the West final and the Grey Cup,” he said.
The CFL-NBC union marks the second time that the two have joined forces. The network aired a handful of games during the 1982 season, while NFL players were striking.