B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman believes there are two key ways the CFL can drive revenue growth as it looks to usher in a new era of prosperity.
“Getting the fan base back in, getting the media (rights) up — those two things. We’re a small country. We can’t compare ourselves to different leagues like the NFL and things like that, that’s just being crazy. What you have to do is look at the market you’re in and get those values up by really building your product,” Doman said in Vancouver on Thursday.
“I think one of the biggest things we need to do is see where the eyeballs are going with the kids. We watch the TV. Kids don’t know there’s a TV, they’re all on their phones, so streaming is going to be very important in my view. Over time, more kids can really look at this game when it’s convenient for them and not sit in front of the TV. The more we can get people on streaming and have that platform spread, I really believe will be the future for eyeballs and we’ll continue to build our good league.”
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie, who is departing his post this off-season, indicated on Tuesday that franchise valuations have been flat since he took the job in 2017. He also admitted to falling well short of his goal of doubling league revenue, citing the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, though he said some growth had taken place.
Despite the league’s relative stagnancy, Doman, who purchased the Lions from the estate of the late David Braley in 2021, seems even more excited about owning the club than the day he first took over.
“I didn’t think (the CFL) was as awesome as it actually is, I really believe that. I knew how great it was watching as a kid, but when you get involved with the governors and the commissioner, the professionalism of this league is no different than any other league in the world. It is first class. The players are first class, the ownership level, the commitment. It is a very, very storied league that I’m very, very proud to be of,” said Doman.
“I feel great about (the league’s future). I really believe that the ownership level right now is the best it’s been in probably decades. The commitment by the owners, the quality of the game, everything is just top shelf right now, so I’m very, very happy. Obviously, sad the Lions aren’t in this tournament as we’re hosting here, but that’s the way it goes. We’re still trying to host the best Grey Cup that’s been around since 111 years ago.”
The building materials magnate seems extremely pleased with the ongoing Grey Cup Festival, saying he would give it a “twelve out of ten.” The area around the convention center is lined food trucks, a concert stage, and the zip lines, which have caused a stir on social media. Doman said 3,000 children attended on Thursday and another 3,000 would be bussed in for Friday, each of them donning a free Lions t-shirt.
“It’s all the younger generation. The older people, we’ve got — the CFLers, the diehards — but really seeing the young kids coming in, even just here walking around today, a lot of fans are here and they’re here with their kids saying, ‘We’re going to games,'” he said. “There’s a bit of a lost decade here in Vancouver and we’re trying to bring that back.”
Carolyn Cody, the team’s vice president of business operations and marketing, would like to see marketing teams across the CFL given larger budgets to try out new ways to engage fans, including concerts and other entertainment experiences.
One such example is B.C.’s concert kickoff series, which started in 2022. OneRepublic, LL Cool J, and 50 Cent have all played the team’s home openers, drawing a crowd of over 50,000 earlier this year. The performances were designed to attract ticket buyers who had never previously engaged with the CFL and they’ve paid dividends as the team’s attendance has grown by 51 percent since 2019.
“The amount of return tickets we’ve had off of those experiences have been tremendous,” said Cody. “Our season ticket base is expanding, our single-game ticket base is expanding, our fan bases are expanding because of those totally outside-the-box and really fun opportunities. I can’t wait to see who the concert kickoff opener is next year.”
Doman cited affordable ticket prices, local four o’clock starts, and moving playoff games from Sunday to Saturday as adjustments that have been made to improve the Lions and the CFL as a whole. He’s especially noticed more people in B.C. wearing team gear over the last 12 months, a sign that the Lions are building sustained, organic success.
“The little adjustments I think that the league has made has really brought in these fans here locally and all across the province. (Touchdown Pacific in) Victoria (earlier this year) was such a big success as well. Doing these little things is really adding up into a new, strong fan base,” he said.
“The CFL is about community. It’s about sport, it’s about people, and it’s about athletics. There’s a lot more to the CFL than (profit and loss) and we really believe that we’re stewards of this franchise for the next number of decades.”
