Recently there has been a lot of talk regarding a new CFL franchise in the Atlantic region with Halifax seemingly being given the go-ahead to have a franchise ahead of other candidates like Moncton, but why can’t a place like that have one too? I make this point as Halifax is in a different province than Moncton, with Halifax being in Nova Scotia while Moncton is in News Brunswick, thus there potentially being a market for both. If you live in Moncton you are probably unlikely to go and watch a game in Halifax and vice-versa. The obvious question when approaching a subject like this is whether or not there is a market for it. I believe that there is one, since if you look back at past Atlantic Touchdown games in Moncton one was a sell-out. Moncton has a population of approximately 70,000 which makes it the second largest city within the Maritime Province, putting them 78th in the most populous city list in Canada and a long way behind cities which currently host a team. This could prove a drawback, especially if you compare it to Halifax which seems likely to be the 10th franchise. It currently sits 14th and has a population of over 400,000, so the likelihood of a sell-out increases in that scenario. Moncton may have a low population compared to the other active CFL franchises, but I believe that this still makes them a viable candidate. Just look at Green Bay in the NFL for example who have just over 105,000 population which is slightly better than Moncton and, yet they have an average attendance of 78,092 (ESPN, 2017) for 2017, thus giving them the second highest average behind Dallas. In my view this outlines the potential a place like Moncton could have if they were awarded a team in addition to the Halifax franchise. If Moncton do get a team along with Halifax this would be a massive boost for the CFL as this would create a rivalry which could eventually blossom in the Atlantic region. Moncton also holds an advantage over other potential CFL sites as they already have a stadium meaning they would not have to spend time and money finding a suitable site, however they would be required to improve on their current stadium. For example, they would need to increase the capacity up to the required 25,000 by the CFL as well as undertaking renovation work in the surrounding area in order to improve infrastructure and the ease of access on matchdays. Below I’ve inserted some statistics why Moncton should be considered for a CFL franchise in the future. · In 2014, KMPG ranked Moncton as the lowest cost location for business in Canada (Moncton, 2016). · Moncton is known as the hub of the Maritimes with more than 1.3 million people living within a 2.5-hour drive (Moncton, 2016). · Moncton added more than 25,000 jobs to its workforce since 1990 (Moncton, 2016). The three statistics above show the following; 1) With Moncton being ranked as the lowest cost to setup a business it underlines that the city would be a perfect place to start a profit making CFL franchise, 2) With Moncton being the hub for the region there would be no better place to host a franchise should the league want one in the Atlantic region, 3) By creating a CFL franchise there would be potential job growth as shown in bullet point 3 with more than 25,000 jobs being created in 26 years. In conclusion, I believe Moncton would be a perfect candidate for a CFL franchise in the near future, considering the past success of the Atlantic Touchdown games as well as the future growth the city may continue to experience. Furthermore, 1.3 million people live within a few hours drive of Moncton, making it acceessible toa huge fan base. The city is also styling itself as an entertainment hub, so the addition of a CFL team could attract more fans in the 18-34 range as well as young families.
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