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CFL Season Wraps up as the Second Most-Watched Regular Season Ever

November 6, 2013 - Canadian Football League (CFL) News Release


TORONTO - The Canadian Football League's regular season on TSN and RDS continue to grow.

Regular season ratings for the CFL on TSN were up another 4.3 per cent in 2013, with an average of 703,000 Canadian viewers per game, making it the second most-watched season ever. Ratings on TSN and RDS combined were up 3.6 per cent, with an average of 758,000 viewers per game.

"We remain the number one summer sports property in Canada, and second only to hockey overall," said Mark Cohon, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League. "At a time when there are more sports than ever before on TV, and more entertainment alternatives than ever before, these high ratings are a testament to the power of the CFL brand and the love Canadians possess for our league."

The CFL's strong ratings performance features large gains in Southern Ontario, where ratings for games involving the Toronto Argonauts were up 26 per cent from last year, and 50 per cent from 2011, and ratings for games involving the Hamilton Tiger-cats were up 14 per cent from 2012, and 27 per cent from 2011.

One of the most watched games of the year featured the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Toronto Argonauts on Thanksgiving Monday: the television audience approached one million viewers, making it the most watched regular season game in the two teams' decades-old rivalry.

Ratings for all CFL games are up 18 per cent from last year in Southern Ontario (what the rating agency calls the Toronto Extended Market, which includes Halton, Peel, Metro Toronto, York, Simcoe South, Durahm, Dufferin, Hamilton, Niagara and Haldimand.)

"The CFL is one of the cornerstones of our summer broadcast schedule delivering a dedicated audience of engaged Canadian football fans," said Stewart Johnston, President, TSN. "As the league continues to grow, we are thrilled that our long-term partnership will continue to raise the profile of the league and ensure that the CFL continues to be a must-see property for Canadian sports fans."

This Sunday, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Semi-Final at 1:00 pm ET and the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final at 4:30 pm ET. Coverage on TSN begins at Noon ET with an hour-long pre-game show. The RDS pre-game show starts at 12:30 pm ET.

The Toronto Argonauts will host the Eastern Final and the Calgary Stampeders will host the Western Final the following Sunday, November 17.

The 101st Grey Cup game will take place Sunday, November 24 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

All playoff games, and of course the Grey Cup, will be broadcast live on TSN and RDS.

Earlier this year, the CFL, TSN, and RDS announced a broad new multi-platform broadcast agreement that extends their long-term partnership through to 2018.


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Canadian Football League Stories from November 6, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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