![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CFLonDAZN.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGraphic: 3DownNation<\/p>\n
For the first time in over 20 years, a CFL regular-season game is set to be televised on a network other than TSN.<\/p>\n
A new media rights agreement for the league will begin next season<\/a>, which will see the majority of contests, including the Grey Cup, remain on TSN and other Bell Media properties, but will also see the debut of CFL Saturday Night Football on DAZN.<\/p>\n After the news broke, DAZN\u2019s Canadian vice-president, Deidra Dionne, told 3DownNation that the online platform would be seeking to create its own identity with its own broadcasters and production<\/a>. In the interview, Dionne certainly made it clear that they plan to do things their way and bring innovation to CFL broadcasts.<\/p>\n 3DownNation Newsletter<\/p>\n Today\u2019s CFL news in your inbox every day at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n By signing up you agree to receive daily emails from 3DownNation, as well as our Dionne also suggested that work hadn\u2019t really begun on putting together their broadcast package, as they still have a year to figure it out. So, I figured, why not give DAZN some advice they didn\u2019t ask for and share some ideas that I\u2019d like to see incorporated into the broadcast?<\/p>\n The voice<\/p>\n Inarguably, the most important part of any live sports broadcast is the person describing the action. A good play-by-play announcer can elevate any game and make it feel big.<\/p>\n If I had a dream scenario, I think it would be Rogers allowing veteran broadcaster Tim Micallef to appear on DAZN on the side. In the United States, it\u2019s not unusual to see broadcasters work for different networks, especially when it comes to the booth. It\u2019s less common in Canada, outside of the Olympics, when CBC, Rogers and Bell all work together. Micallef has a passion for the CFL and would be the perfect fit for the job.<\/p>\n If Micallef wasn\u2019t interested or couldn\u2019t do the job, I\u2019m not sure who would be the next person to target, but it would be a great opportunity for DAZN to bring a new voice into the national landscape. Perhaps someone like Darren Dupont, who has experience calling U Sports football games and more.<\/p>\n Keep it simple<\/p>\n As for the rest of the on-air crew, DAZN shouldn\u2019t think too far out of the box.<\/p>\n There are plenty of recently retired players who could be the broadcast\u2019s colour analyst and fill out their panel.\u00a0 Big-time names like Bo Levi Mitchell, Trevor Harris and Zach Collaros could be available as soon as next season. Other options include Adam Bighill, Richie Leone, DaVaris Daniels, Dan Clark, and Charleston Hughes.<\/p>\n One thing TSN struggled with until recently was changing some of their voices. As difficult as these decisions can be, new faces and viewpoints do need to be brought into broadcasts from time to time. Perhaps the best example out there right now is the NFL on CBS, who have overhauled most of their panel and top colour analysts over the last few years. Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt are one of the best crews going now, in my opinion.<\/p>\n DAZN has a real opportunity to bring some new voices into the CFL media landscape<\/p>\n Every broadcast also needs a good reporter and insider. If DAZN is looking for instant credibility, no name jumps off the page like 3DownNation\u2019s\u00a0Justin Dunk, who didn\u2019t pay me to write this. Insert winky emoji here.<\/p>\n I hope DAZN doesn\u2019t think that more is always better, as sometimes less is more. Keep the broadcast booth to the traditional two, and don\u2019t overload the panel with too many people. A host and two to three analysts, even if you want to rotate who appears each week, is all you need.<\/p>\n Show me more<\/p>\n If DAZN is as innovative as they say they are, then the on-screen presentation is where they should shine.<\/p>\n When the game goes live, I want to see things I haven\u2019t seen on a CFL presentation. Give me all of the angles. Put cameras on the goal line, put cameras in the first down markers, put cameras on the refs. If the CFL will let you, put a drone in the stadium. Slap cameras in places no one\u2019s even thought of before. Make sure that if the replay centre is required in that game, there\u2019s undisputed proof one way or the other.<\/p>\n Give me the best graphics we\u2019ve ever seen during a CFL game. Leave the AI slop at home; you don\u2019t need it. Visualize the stats and stories in ways that we haven\u2019t seen.<\/p>\n Spend the money, hire the people, and make every game feel like the event it deserves to be.<\/p>\n Before and after<\/p>\n One way to help make every game feel like an event is to dedicate broadcast time to a pre-game and post-game show.<\/p>\n A pre-game show is pretty straightforward. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much to say. Arguably, a good post-game show is more important than the pre-game. That\u2019s when fans are their most engaged and want to know more about what happened. The show doesn\u2019t have to be very long; even 15-20 minutes would be enough.<\/p>\n It could be fun if they found a way to include fan reactions in the show, as it would increase the entertainment factor.<\/p>\n TSN hasn\u2019t done much in the way of post-game shows, as they generally throw to SportsCentre if they\u2019re not just moving onto the next live event. A true show with analysis and reaction could be an easy way for DAZN to set itself apart.<\/p>\n One last thing<\/p>\n Please, no in-game interviews.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Joel Gasson is a Regina-based sports writer, broadcaster and football fanatic. He is also a beer aficionado.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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