Show Him The Money: CFL Boss Wants Less Sponsors, More Cash

Cohon Aiming To Reduce Number Of On-Field Sponsors In CFL

As CFL corporate sponsorships come up for renewal, Commissioner Mark Cohon is planning to "cull the number of on-field ads," according to Rick Westhead of the TORONTO STAR.  Cohon prefers that the league "has a small roster of sponsors committing millions of dollars in rights fees rather than a host of companies in at $250,000 apiece." Currently, the league brings in $5-7M in sponsor revenue annually. Cohon has "also identified two other areas where the league can expect immediate improvement: improving sponsorships and helping teams bolster their in-stadium revenue." Industry experts said that they would "like to see the league seize control of some of the key sponsorship categories -- like beer and financial services -- and stop teams from having sponsors that are different from those that the central league office has recruited." One industry consultant said, "The CFL's sponsorship model is really fractured right now but they have the chance to be innovative" (TORONTO STAR, 9/20).