It started out in 2008 as a dream to bring the NFL to Canada.

But after six years of manufactured hype and lacklustre games, the Buffalo Bills in Toronto series has been blown up for good.

The Bills and Rogers Communications, who were partners, agreed on Wednesday to terminate the four remaining years left on the series.

The NFL team and Rogers had reached another deal in 2013 to extend the series for five more years, but in March, both parties announced the series was going on hiatus as they conducted reviews.

Upon hearing the news of its death, fans rejoiced on social media.

One person called the series “an abomination” and another tweeted that this was the “best news so far today.” Yet another: “A total disaster.”

When asked for comment, the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, the Rogers Centre tenants who were always seen as main losers in this arrangement, maintained their position of not commenting.

The 2008 agreement had the Bills playing one “home” game a year in Toronto for five years through to 2012, plus three pre-season games (later reduced to two).

Keith Pelly, president of Rogers Media, said in a statement that “at the end of the day we’ve concluded that the best thing for fans on both sides of the border is to end the series.”

Perhaps the fate of the series was sealed last month when neither the Bills nor the NFL approached the Rogers people about hosting the snowed-out Bills-New York Jets game. Instead, the Bills game was played Monday, Nov. 24, in Detroit.

The first regular-season NFL game played in Canada, on Dec. 7, 2008, offered little excitement for the hype.

The Miami Dolphins won 16-3 with the Bills featuring quarterback J.P. Losman because the No. 1 QB, Trent Edwards, was injured.

Plenty of spectators showed up in Dolphins jerseys and many booed when the Bills took the field. Bills offensive tackle Jason Peters summed up the atmosphere at the time: “It felt like we were on the road.”

Team president Russ Brandon said at the time: “This is a very good NFL market, but not a Bills market yet.”

The next year, there was excitement over Terrell Owens, the colourful pass-catcher then with the Bills, but he was a nonfactor, catching only three receptions totalling 31 yards.

The 2012 game was another dud when the Bills were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks 50-17. At various points, the crowd of about 40,000 chanted for the Seahawks, the Jays and the Argos.

Last year, the attendance dwindled to around 35,000 as the Bills lost to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. But the game became mostly a sideshow to then mayor Rob Ford, who took someone’s seat and caused a commotion at halftime when he made his way to the concourse to sign autographs and pose for photos.

The Bills players hated the series, in which they were 1-5:

Dec. 7, 2008, Bills lose 16-3 to the Miami Dolphins.

Dec. 3, 2009, Bills lose 19-13 to the New York Jets.

Nov. 7, 2010, Bills lose 22-19 to the Chicago Bears.

Oct. 30, 2011, Bills shut out the Washington Redskins 23-0.

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Dec. 16, 2012, Bills routed by the Seattle Seahawks 50-17.

Dec. 1, 2013, Bills lost 34-31 in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons.

In two pre-season games, the Bills were 2-0, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21 in 2008 and the Indianapolis Colts 34-21 in 2010.

The series was conceived by a group that included late Bills owner Ralph Wilson, the late Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications and Larry Tanenbaum of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

Last month, new Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula said they were negotiating to cancel the series.

Following a 34-31 overtime loss to Atlanta last year, the Bills president and Bills players complained about giving away home-field advantage by playing in front of small and indifferent crowds in Toronto.

Receiver Steve Johnson questioned whether the warm-weather Falcons “fixed” the schedule in getting to play indoors. Centre Eric Wood had referred to the games in Toronto as “a joke.”

At first, the Bills saw the games as a means to gain more exposure in southern Ontario. Last year, the Bills estimated that the southern Ontario market accounted for 18 per cent of its season ticket sales.

However, huge numbers of fans in Western New York boycotted the series, viewing this series as step to ultimately move the team to Toronto.

The Bills eventually went on the market after owner Wilson died in March and a Toronto ownership fronted by rocker Jon Bon Jovi made a formal bid to purchase the team.

However, the bidding group, which included MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum and Rogers Communications chairman Edward Rogers, lost out to the Pegulas.

The Bills earned a $78 million windfall, which Rogers paid to essentially lease the games. That figure was almost double what the Bills were projected to receive if those games were played at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

For their part, Rogers set ticket prices too high in an attempt to recoup their costs.

With files from The Associated Press

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