[T-Bor]

The Apple TV deal has seemingly killed TFC's image in Toronto. Sure the team hasn't done anything to help their image but... At least in the darkest of the dark periods you could still find a TFC game on TV and that drove the local news reports to report their scores. Now I barely ever hear mention of TFC and their games are locked behind a paywall.

For a while there it looked like TFC would surpass the Blue Jays as Toronto's summer sporting destination. Now they're barely mentioned anywhere.

Yeah that's kinda how it seems, you never hear of TFC news anymore. One thing I have to hand to TFC fans though, that is a hardcore fan base. I do wish other sports teams would take a page and get more into the games. The best we can muster at most other sporting events is "GO (insert team here) GO!"

 

[guavadelic]

The Apple TV deal has seemingly killed TFC's image in Toronto. Sure the team hasn't done anything to help their image but... At least in the darkest of the dark periods you could still find a TFC game on TV and that drove the local news reports to report their scores. Now I barely ever hear mention of TFC and their games are locked behind a paywall.

For a while there it looked like TFC would surpass the Blue Jays as Toronto's summer sporting destination. Now they're barely mentioned anywhere.

These leagues and their owners are choosing upfront money ahead of courting casuals and growing their fanbases. They'll see the results in the coming decades.

 

[narduch]

Im pretty sure Apple will kill that deal once Messi retires.

 

[juselara02]

It is a very discussed topic in the "American Soccer internet community" about how regressive the Apple deal has been for the growth of the game in the US and Canada. They totally extracted Soccer from mainstream media and put it behind a hefty paywall. THey also talk about how the USL is filling the void with their Grassroots approach. Thats a topic for another day tho.

 

[a2z]

Sure, the Apple deal definitely doesn't help, especially with casuals, but being the recurring punching bag of the league probably has more to do with the current lack of interest with TFC.

Compare this to Vancouver who you would imagine is in a great position to capitalize off the World Cup attention since they are competitive, have a cast of exciting young players, and now this is all supercharged with Muller.

Other teams seem to consistently do well both on & off the pitch with different strategies: good scouting, academies that integrate well with the first team, and/or starpower that actually produces results - e.g. Philly, Seattle, Minnesota, Columbus, Cincinnati, LAFC

Yet somehow TFC currently manage to fail at all of those things!

 

[guavadelic]

Sure, the Apple deal definitely doesn't help, especially with casuals, but being the recurring punching bag of the league probably has more to do with the current lack of interest with TFC.

Compare this to Vancouver who you would imagine is in a great position to capitalize off the World Cup attention since they are competitive, have a cast of exciting young players, and now this is all supercharged with Muller.

Other teams seem to consistently do well both on & off the pitch with different strategies: good scouting, academies that integrate well with the first team, and/or starpower that actually produces results - e.g. Philly, Seattle, Minnesota, Columbus, Cincinnati, LAFC

Yet somehow TFC currently manage to fail at all of those things!

TFC's failure to cultivate the abundant soccer talent from GTA is one of their biggest short comings. So many members of the men's national team are from the GTA and most of them were overlooked or prematurely toss aside by TFC when they were coming up from the youth ranks.

 

[Mihairokov]

Yeah, you're not wrong, some CFL fans are like that, and the league has dropped the ball, hard, on doing basically zero marketing in the Toronto area for like 20 years.

The monkey paw has curled:

MLSE and Buffalo Bills Announce Partnership to Engage Canadian Fans and Grow the Game of Football - Toronto Argonauts

The first-of-its-kind partnership includes merchandise and activation opportunities across the Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and other MLSE properties As the Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2025-26 season earlier this week, the Bills and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE)...

www.argonauts.ca

As the Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2025-26 season earlier this week, the Bills and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) announced today that they have entered into a multi-faceted partnership to celebrate the shared passion for sport north of the border and to help grow the game of football with Canadian youth. The partnership looks to build connections with Canadian football fans through MLSE’s existing portfolio of premier destinations and sports teams, including the Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC. The partnership will feature youth camps with the Toronto Argonauts, exclusive apparel collaborations, watch parties at Real Sports Bar & Grill, Bills prizes and giveaways featured at select games across the portfolio of MLSE properties, and more.

...

To celebrate the Future of Football program, the Argonauts will host a dedicated Future of Football-themed game when they take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on October 4 at BMO Field. Fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Bills x Argos giveaway item and may participate in contests for Bills prizes.

...

Beginning today, Canadian Bills fans will have access to official team merchandise at Real Sports Apparel in-store and online. In addition, Toronto-founded lifestyle brand Peace Collective will be unveiling a limited-edition Bills x Argos merchandise collection available at Real Sports Apparel and in-venue at BMO Field during the Future of Football-themed game.

...

Throughout the Bills’ season, sports fans in Ontario will have the opportunity to come together to support the Bills as the newly renovated Real Sports Bar & Grill becomes the official watch party destination for Buffalo Bills games. Following the restaurant’s grand reopening this month, the northern chapter of Bills Mafia will get to experience themed programming, alumni and mascot drop-ins, apparel and ticket giveaways, and more in the upgraded space and the official bar of Toronto sports.
---

Argos get pushed out of BMO for World Cup, don't host any home games in Ontario or elsewhere as replacement, and now their current owners are partnering with a direct nearby competitor for eyeballs. In an already-crowded sports market MLSE is bringing in the nearest NFL team. At a time when CFL fans are clamouring for other Canadians to support their league in their "buy Canadian" fervour this seems like an especially bad omen for the future of the Argos within MLSE.

 

[T-Bor]

The monkey paw has curled:

MLSE and Buffalo Bills Announce Partnership to Engage Canadian Fans and Grow the Game of Football - Toronto Argonauts

The first-of-its-kind partnership includes merchandise and activation opportunities across the Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and other MLSE properties As the Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2025-26 season earlier this week, the Bills and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE)...

www.argonauts.ca

As the Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2025-26 season earlier this week, the Bills and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) announced today that they have entered into a multi-faceted partnership to celebrate the shared passion for sport north of the border and to help grow the game of football with Canadian youth. The partnership looks to build connections with Canadian football fans through MLSE’s existing portfolio of premier destinations and sports teams, including the Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC. The partnership will feature youth camps with the Toronto Argonauts, exclusive apparel collaborations, watch parties at Real Sports Bar & Grill, Bills prizes and giveaways featured at select games across the portfolio of MLSE properties, and more.

...

To celebrate the Future of Football program, the Argonauts will host a dedicated Future of Football-themed game when they take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on October 4 at BMO Field. Fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Bills x Argos giveaway item and may participate in contests for Bills prizes.

...

Beginning today, Canadian Bills fans will have access to official team merchandise at Real Sports Apparel in-store and online. In addition, Toronto-founded lifestyle brand Peace Collective will be unveiling a limited-edition Bills x Argos merchandise collection available at Real Sports Apparel and in-venue at BMO Field during the Future of Football-themed game.

...

Throughout the Bills’ season, sports fans in Ontario will have the opportunity to come together to support the Bills as the newly renovated Real Sports Bar & Grill becomes the official watch party destination for Buffalo Bills games. Following the restaurant’s grand reopening this month, the northern chapter of Bills Mafia will get to experience themed programming, alumni and mascot drop-ins, apparel and ticket giveaways, and more in the upgraded space and the official bar of Toronto sports.
---

Argos get pushed out of BMO for World Cup, don't host any home games in Ontario or elsewhere as replacement, and now their current owners are partnering with a direct nearby competitor for eyeballs. In an already-crowded sports market MLSE is bringing in the nearest NFL team.

General consensus among my fellow season ticket holders is that this can only be a good thing. More eyeballs are always good. I agree it may seem odd on the surface, but the Lions - Seahawks have done similar things in the Vancouver area.

Best argument I read is that in the US, it's common for people to cheer for one lower-tier team (NCAA) and an NFL team. No reason why you can't cheer for two. I think MLSE is trying to establish a similar concept among younger GTA football fans.

I.e. Like football? Cool, did you know you can see a live game for $25? Etc etc