The Buffalo Bills have announced that the annual Bills in Toronto Series game for 2014 is cancelled. The team is taking a one-year hiatus from playing a regular season game in the Rogers Centre and will re-evaluate the move next year.
The Bills originally started the series six years ago, but have gone 1-5 in the six games played to date. Fan support has been less than what was originally anticipated, though financially this has hurt Rogers Corporation and not the Bills themselves as the team was guaranteed certain revenue for each game played. As part of the series the Bills have also played three pre-season games in Toronto.
Russ Brandon, President & CEO of the Buffalo Bills, and Keith Pelley, President of Rogers Media, issued the following statement:
“The Buffalo Bills and Rogers are committed to delivering a first-class NFL experience to Canadians. As such, we have postponed for one year the scheduled 2014 regular season game at Rogers Centre in Toronto, and that game will return to Ralph Wilson Stadium. We will use this time to collectively evaluate opportunities and build on the foundation to enhance future games.
We are committed to continuing our partnership and have secured a robust sponsorship agreement for the 2014 season that will bring Canadian NFL fans visibility and access to the Bills. The sponsorship includes ticketing, merchandising, media exposure, and a newly created Canada House, near Ralph Wilson Stadium, that will serve as the official pre-game Canadian tailgate zone for all Bills home games.
The NFL remains very popular in Canada and we are dedicated to enriching the experience for the fans.”
All eight Bills regular season home games will now be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in the 2014 season.
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