Winnipeg is a strong football market, the CFL’s commissioner says, but the host of this year’s Grey Cup is an outlier when it comes to other cities in the league.
Stewart Johnston told Global Winnipeg that while television ratings, game-day revenue and attendance are all up across the board for the league, it’s not all rosy for Canadian football.
“There’s lots of momentum, but at the same time we need to continue to think about ways to drive revenue.
“Seven of nine teams did not make money last year,” Johnston said. “That’s not a sustainable business model.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
“So we’ve got to focus on the business of the game. To do that, I want to think about entertainment — whether that’s game product and presentation itself, or social media, digital content, the platforms that we’re using.
Story continues below advertisement
The two profitable teams, Johnston said, are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Prairie rivals the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Johnston, who was appointed to the league’s top job in April, said a major part of getting more people in the seats is fostering early love for the game among potential new fan and to grow the fandom around the sport.
“I look at what happens here in Manitoba, and it really is a shining example of development of young kids — in flag football and then into contact football.
Trending Now
Mail will resume next week, Canada Post says ahead of rotating strike
Blue Jays’ playoff run unlikely to be home run for Toronto economy: experts
“I think once you touch a football, once you play it, catch it, throw it, run with it, understand tactics … you will fall in love, because it’s that great a sport.”
2:10
Bombers fans fired up for the season
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.