Riders weave lengthy Web of followers

National Post
By: Sean Fitz-Gerald

Saskatchewan is a big draw,’ league says

TORONTO - They have watched from Denmark, Singapore and Jamaica. They have stayed awake at odd hours in New Zealand and Australia and, more often than not, they have done it just so they could follow the Saskatchewan Roughriders from the comfort of their own computer screen.

In its second year of offering live broadcasts through its Web site, the Canadian Football League sold up to 40% more video streams for games involving the Regina-based team than any other. The Prairies have made their presence felt again this week, with chatter on the CFL's online fan forum shooting up 75% since the Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers booked passage to the Grey Cup this weekend.

"Saskatchewan is a big draw, there's no question about that," said Chris Mc-Cracken, the CFL's vice-president, broadcasting and media assets. "Last year, when the Riders played, the list of where people were watching from was pretty long. Riders fans, I don't need to tell you about Riders fans -- its doesn't matter who they're playing or where they're playing, they're going to be watching."

The CFL does not offer online streams of live games in Canada because of its domestic rights holders. But at a cost of about $10 per game, expatriates and curious fans living around the world have been buying streams in the hundreds.

"It's not a huge business for us," McCracken said. "But it allows us a bit of a profile."

There are only a handful of positions dedicated to managing the league's Web site on a full-time basis, but a year after Major League Baseball's advanced media division generated more than US$200-million in revenue, the CFL has made a push to expand its own online identity.

Archival footage has been sorted, after being stored in a manner that might have been expected from a league that has skirted disaster as often as the CFL. And in June, the league established a channel on YouTube to reach out to the young and the computer-literate.

"Our Web traffic has increased, people want to see the highlights right after a game," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said. "Our YouTube channel, we were actually in the top 40-rated channels last week, which is pretty amazing. The NHL was No. 41."

"The digital world has allowed us to extend the boundaries well beyond Canada," McCracken said. "So what does it mean to us to have people watching? It's good.

"To build a brand around the world in baby steps like this is always good for the league."