CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie is still thinking big about international television rights, though he was mum on the details of its current viewership.
The league reached a U.S. television deal with CBS Sports Network in 2023 worth a reported annual value of $1 million. The network showed 34 regular season games, most of which occurred before the NFL regular season got underway in the fall, and didn’t include any playoff games or the Grey Cup.
Ambrosie indicated that the network was enthusiastic about exercising its option to extend the agreement beyond the first year, which he considered to be a positive sign. CBS Sports Network showed 34 regular season CFL games in 2024 and, unlike last year, will broadcast the Grey Cup on Sunday as the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers face off at B.C. Place Stadium.
“We’re seeing success in that market. We know we’ve got a following in the U.S. and I think that following can continue,” said Ambrosie. “Three-down football on a really big field is fun to watch and we hear a lot of that from American football fans.”
All CFL games not on CBS Sports Network are available in the U.S. on CFL+, the league’s free streaming service, which is also available in most international markets outside of Canada and the U.S.
The 61-year-old native of Winnipeg, Man., who will leave his post this off-season following a seven-year run as commissioner, didn’t provide any viewership data from CBS Sports Network or CFL+. CBS Sports Network doesn’t subscribe to Nielsen’s ratings service, which means they are never publicly reported.
“The experiment with CFL+ is working and certainly the relationship with CBS Sports has been very positive,” said Ambrosie. “I think Canadian football is special and I think it’s a product that we can market around the world because it is fun to watch.”
Ambrosie indicated that all of the CFL’s media rights deals will expire at the conclusion of the 2026 season, insinuating that CBS Sports Network will remain the league’s official U.S. television partner for two more years. In the meantime, the league has procured the services of an unidentified media rights consultant to help ensure their games are available to the widest possible audience over the long term.
“We’re in the early stages of thinking about media rights. We’ve brought in a media rights consultant that’s looking at us holistically and looking at how we maximize the value of our rights, what’s the right combinations and permutations of partnerships and relationships that can give us the maximum reach and ultimately grow our revenue,” said Ambrosie.
“Those are decisions that will be made down the road, but I think it starts with a really great product that’s performing beautifully. You’ve got a business that is now starting to perform beautifully, the stars are lining up in our favor. I think that bodes well for the future of our media rights here in Canada and around the world.”
