Mooseheads ticket holders would need to make the switch to Schooners, and fans would need to travel from as far as Moncton to fill the stadium

This week Schooner Sports and Entertainment (SSE) submitted a revised proposal to the municipality for a future CFL stadium in Dartmouth.

But some experts in the sports industry think the new proposal isn't that different than the first time around.

"The new proposal was worded differently, but it's basically the same result," says local sports writer Earle Jessiman.

Jessiman, who has an MBA in Hockey Management and has coached and been a GM in the AHL, WHL and CIS, says that there is still lots of risk in the city investing in the stadium.

"Financial risk is number one. Looking at the proposal, SSE doesn't have any skin in the game from a capital standpoint," Jessiman tells NEWS 95.7's The Todd Veinotte Show.

Although Jessiman typically focuses on hockey, he's been trying to analyze whether HRM can support a CFL team.

"We've seen that this is a hockey market, there's no question about that. But the question is, is it a football market?" he asks.

The sports writer says that some Mooseheads ticketholders would need to make the switch to Schooners, and fans would need to travel from as far as Moncton to fill the stadium.

"I would say it would be necessary, simply because of the numbers that they're going to need to be able to at least break even," he says.

But Jessiman also says sports leagues are no longer an industry in themselves, but they're part of the entertainment industry, just like bars, theatres, and concert halls.

"You're not just competing against the Mooseheads to try to get people into the stadium." he says. "You're competing against restaurants, bars, theatre, movie theatres. It's a big industry."

With people setting aside a certain amount for entertainment each month, Jessiman says he isn't sure the CFL will be on people's radar, especially if they only play 10 home games a year.

"The Mooseheads I believe play 34 home games. So it's easier to get a dedicated fan base because of the frequency of the games," he explains. "It's difficult of course to get a loyal fan base over only 10 home games."

Since the municipality still expected to pay capital costs up front, Jessiman says there's still huge risk or being on the hook if the team isn't as successful as SSE hopes -- something that wouldn't fly in the private sector.

"If I'm a lender, I'm concerned about that. Try to go and get a mortgage without putting money down. It doesn't happen," he says.

Jessiman thinks SSE should be looking at other ways to get capital, like large companies who may want to put their name on the stadium.

"Corporate partnership and sponsorships are critical to the success of any professional sports franchise. There's been no talk about any commitment from anybody," he adds. "I hope that they're having those preliminary conversations with some major corporations in the local area and the Atlantic area."

But Jessiman warns that CFL game attendance is waning in recent years.

"Since 2012 the average number of fans attending a CFL game has gone down every year," he says, totalling a 19 per cent decrease.

There's also no mention in the SSE proposal about whether games would be broadcast on television for others to watch.

"There's nothing in either the preliminary proposal or the secondary proposal about that," he says.

A sports fan himself, Jessiman wants to see the stadium in Halifax, but he says there's still a long way to go.

"There has to be a lot more negotiation between HRM and SSE," he says. "There's a lot of risk involved in a sports franchise, especially a new one that isn't established in a market and doesn't have an established fan base yet."