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Amar Doman says you shouldn\u2019t believe everything you hear about the profitability of CFL franchises \u2014 or lack thereof.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview with 3DownNation, the B.C. Lions\u2019 owner addressed the persistent narrative that only two of the CFL\u2019s nine teams make money, revealing how those statements can be deceptive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you can look at profitabilities on all the clubs, and what gets put into a private company and what doesn\u2019t can vary wildly due to tax reasons,\u201d Doman explained. \u201cWhen you read two out of (nine), who knows exactly what those true numbers are?\u201d<\/p>\n
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Free. Unsubscribe anytime. By signing up you agree to receive daily emails from 3DownNation, \u201cI would say (the CFL\u2019s) never been in better shape. Number one, the ownership, let\u2019s just say it\u2019s at a different level than it was<\/a>. There is deep pockets behind every team, and obviously, two are community-owned, but those are very well-run and have great balance sheets and a lot of cash. The whole system is in good shape. From that standpoint, it\u2019s come a long way in five years. It\u2019s not that it was broken, but it was a little shakier. It\u2019s solid as hell now, and that is excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n So, where do the Lions fall on the spectrum of profitability? Doman, who purchased the team in August 2021, declined to get into specifics but expressed optimism about the state of the franchise.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom our standpoint, we\u2019re happy,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re trending in the right way, and we\u2019ll just continue to build on what we had started, now coming on five years ago. We\u2019re on track.\u201d<\/p>\n The CFL has long been covered by a cloud of financial insecurity, but that hasn\u2019t been the case lately. Defined league revenue has grown by over $31 million since 2022<\/a>, resulting in massive increases to the salary expenditure cap. More good news arrived with the announcement of a new six-year broadcast rights deal<\/a> with Bell Media and online streaming platform DAZN<\/a>, which will take effect in 2027.<\/p>\n Commissioner Stewart Johnston confirmed the agreement will represent a \u201csignificant increase\u201d in league revenue<\/a>, with some reports valuing it at close to $500 million. Doman, who has openly advocated for the CFL to enter the streaming space in the past<\/a>, agreed that the deal will be impactful for all nine franchises.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s very monumental for the CFL,\u201d he said. \u201cThe confidence that\u2019s been shown here on a massive deal like that is just excellent for all owners in the league and for the stability of the league.\u201d<\/p>\n While Doman did not indicate whether the increased broadcast revenue would be enough to assure profitability for the Lions on its own, team president Duane Vienneau implied that it could get them close when speaking to the media earlier this week.<\/p>\n \u201cI will tell you that since Amar bought the team, we\u2019ve had constant growth, and we are getting our businesses run better every day, and this new TV deal in 2027 will put us to a position that will be in very, very good shape,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be great. It\u2019s a game-changer. There\u2019s so many factors that I can\u2019t talk about yet \u2014 it\u2019s tough to really answer that question (regarding profitability) \u2014 but I will tell you right out of the gate, it\u2019ll put us in a position where we need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n If fresh television and streaming dollars aren\u2019t enough to push the Lions into the black, the franchise could be poised for a windfall much closer to home.<\/p>\n Powered by RedCircle<\/a><\/p>\n Even as the team has been forced out of their home stadium for the FIFA World Cup, negotiations are ongoing with BC Place regarding a new lease for the building<\/a>. The expectation is that a deal will be in place ahead of the Lions\u2019 return to Vancouver on July 25, and it could include significantly improved terms.<\/p>\n PavCo, the Crown Corporation that operates BC Place, has offered massive concessions to the Vancouver Whitecaps in order to stop the MLS franchise from relocating, which would include cuts of previously off-limits revenue sources like concessions, alcohol sales, parking, and potentially even stadium naming rights. With multiple levels of government involved in that sales pitch, it would be bad optics if the CFL team were treated differently, and Doman is hopeful that a similar deal will be struck.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be a game-changer overnight. We\u2019re doing a lot of investment, and it would be nice to have some of those revenues and margins from those opportunities like virtually every other sports team,\u201d he remarked. \u201cUs and the Whitecaps, it\u2019s been difficult, and I think that\u2019s been public for a long time. It\u2019s just tough, and they\u2019ve got their costs, and they\u2019ve got their problems at BC Place they have to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c(PavCo) are doing the best they can with certain things, and, being a crown corporation, there are certain things they can do, certain things they can\u2019t do. We understand that it\u2019s owned by the taxpayers, it\u2019s just a difficult situation for a private business like ours to be in there and not enjoy other revenue sources like concessions, parking and different things like that. It\u2019s a tough arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lions have seen positive gains at BC Place under Doman\u2019s ownership, with average attendance ballooning from 17,803 in 2019 \u2014 the last non-COVID restricted season \u2014 to 27,124 last year<\/a>. Part of that growth has been due to the team\u2019s popular kickoff concerts, which have featured performances from OneRepublic, LL Cool J, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg. All of those performances have been funded out of the lumber magnate\u2019s own pocket.<\/a><\/p>\n He expressed excitement about what else could be possible in the building now that it has undergone extensive renovations ahead of the World Cup, but acknowledged that no matter what deal is offered, the venue will never be ideal for his team<\/a>. There are simply no better options.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there was somewhere where there was a magic wand where we could do something somewhere else, I think everyone would be happier. It\u2019s just too big for us, too. You put in 30,000 (fans), it still looks empty. That\u2019s a good crowd for the CFL,\u201d Doman remarked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to get the right field, and then a permit, and there\u2019s just a lot of complications. The Lower Mainland is so crowded; that\u2019s why there\u2019s no new stadium here. Where do you put it? Whitecaps, same issue. We need a right-sized stadium. The problem is there\u2019s no land, and there\u2019s no land available for it, so it\u2019s just very difficult in the Lower Mainland of B.C. to do a lot of things that require space.\u201d<\/p>\n Were it feasible, Doman has proven himself to be the type of owner to spend the money on major undertakings<\/a>. He\u2019s opened up his chequebook for two significant infrastructure projects already this year: the erection of a temporary pop-up stadium in Kelowna<\/a> to host two games while the team is displaced and the renovation of the Lions\u2019 Surrey practice facility<\/a>, which was unveiled last week.<\/p>\n
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