Bills will be paid $78 million for eight-game Toronto series

The Buffalo Bills will receive $78 million -- more than double their calculated 2006 operating income -- to play eight games in Toronto over the next five years.

The payment to the Bills was disclosed for the first time in Rogers Communications' 2008 first-quarter report released Tuesday. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the downtown Rogers Centre.

In becoming the NFL's first team to play annual games outside the United States, the Bills are scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a preseason match at Toronto on Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.

Rogers spokeswoman Jan Innes would not comment beyond the one-paragraph statement included in the company report, except to say the $78 million figure was in Canadian currency. The Canadian dollar hovered around par to its U.S. counterpart during the first quarter this year.

Innes declined to say whether any portion of the payment has been made to the Bills.

Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold also declined comment, citing a policy that the team does not discuss financial details of its business relationships.

not a bad chunk of change!!!

CLICK it!!!!!
Vote this post up or down: 

18 Comments On: "Bills will be paid $78 million for eight-game Toronto series"

 
This is big for that franchise.

i hear ya, nice chunk of change for playing in canada-but they pick the team u play-that kinda sucks but hey that's just me ;0 !!!

If they can draw fans from Toronto, it will be worth it. They might have to win a few games though.

To be fair, they could draw fans from Toronto before this without having to give up basically the biggest home game of the year (Miami is still a rivalry). I mean, what else are you going to do in Toronto - go watch the CFL's Argonauts? Have you ever watched Canadian Football? Not much choice there.

Watched CFL when there is not much else to watch....LOL. Never been to Toronto, so not sure what there is to do up there, but there has to be a reason they are doing it.

That would cover a lot of signing bonuses. Right on, fiverings, they could use an expanded fan base. They are a team on the rise in a weak division, though.

it's odd though, they have no idea who they will be playing!!!

Bills wouldn't be contemplating a move to Toronto, would they? I haven't seen anything that would indicate that they are? Or, maybe Toronto is trying to lure an NFL franchise. I have heard some talk about that in the past.

huh! now that's interesting fiver, very!!!
more so the lure, ya get me?

As long as Ralph Wilson's still senile and kicking, the franchise will probably stay in Buffalo.
The minute he croaks, they're probably gone. That will be a sad, sad day in Buffalo.

well so much for the "Los Angeles Bills" ha!

LOL!!!!!!! i'm gonna go with what i replied on your page LOL!

I dont think its a sign of moving to Canada or anything like that. Im a Bills fan from the area that went to a lot of games growing up and the fans are legitimate. That being said, I remember going to a game two seasons ago (after many years of not going) and was shocked at the number of canadiens that were there watching. They all loved it.

Especially the two canadian guys sitting right behind me that always got into the spirit when the cheerleaders group came over to our side of the field. "Cartwheels! We want cartwheels!"

then it makes more sense, now-hearing from a fan of the team-why this would be going down!!! i think it's good for them & the money it's going to generate. i just am not keen on the "not knowing" who they are playing part!!!

If it's to draw more Canadian fans, then it might be good, but as the guy said above, why take one of the best home games of the year and move it up there? Of course, I guess they would be upset about any game being moved.

yeah i would be too!!!

That's like moving the Dallas game out of Philly. How many Philly fans would go nuts over that?

hhhhhhhhhmmmmm lemme count, the whole fricken green nation LOL!

Your comment:



Featured Stories Today
Wally Backman's vocabulary is not safe for children
Wally Backman, former manager of the D-Backs has surfaced working the third base box for the South...
The Sexiest WAG's of MMA
Lord love the media over in the U.K. When a paper like The Sun feels the need to do a story on The...
Robin Lopez is a freak!
Check out this post on AOLfanhouse comparing Robin Lopez to American Idol's Justin Guarini,...
Pennies from Hell: Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Jr. owed $1,500 to teammate Josh Fogg, and he paid his debt using only pennies: sixty...
Orioles Magic
New and arguably not improved: "Orioles Magic," featuring Kevin Millar. Cameos by Rick Dempsey and...


Top 10 Related Stories
 
Most Popular Related Topics
Recent Bills Fans
Most Popular NFL Articles
More from the Blogosphere

MLB
Friday May 16 (EST)    See all MLB Scores >>
  • 4
    7
    Pittsburgh
    Chicago
    Final
    Box Score
  • 3
    5
    Washington
    Baltimore
    Final
    Box Score
  • 3
    10
    Toronto
    Philadelphia
    Final
    Box Score
  • 0
    0
    New York
    New York
  • 0
    0
    Milwaukee
    Boston
  • 7
    6
    Kansas City
    Florida
    Final
    Box Score
  • 3
    4
    Cleveland
    Cincinnati
    Final
    Box Score
  • 2
    3
    Oakland
    Atlanta
    Final
    Box Score
  • 8
    16
    Houston
    Texas
    Final
    Box Score
  • 3
    1
    Tampa Bay
    St. Louis
    Final
    Box Score
  • 4
    2
    Minnesota
    Colorado
    Final
    Box Score
  • 3
    4
    Detroit
    Arizona
    Final
    Box Score
  • 2
    4
    Los Angeles
    Los Angeles
    Final
    Box Score
  • 6
    4
    San Diego
    Seattle
    Final
    Box Score
  • 2
    0
    Chicago
    San Francisco
    Final
    Box Score
  •  
     
    © Copyright 2008 Yardbarker, Inc. All Rights Reserved