February 9, 2023 – Millions of viewers will gather with friends and family to view one of the biggest spectacles of the year in sports this weekend – Super Bowl Sunday. The game is a largely unmatched commercial and sports extravaganza, but depending on where they are in Canada, some Canadian football fans would give it up to support their home league instead.
A new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds that while three-in-five football fans in Canada (62%) would choose the Super Bowl over the Grey Cup if they could only watch one, two-in-five (38%) disagree, including a majority in Alberta and the Prairies.
On a broader scale, each league has its strengths and weaknesses among the Canadian public. The aforementioned Prairie advantage is evident for the CFL, with close to twice as many Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents saying they follow that league closely (41%) than say this about the NFL (22%). That said, the American game has key strengths in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada which will likely hearten NFL Canada executives and dismay CFL brass.
Age is also a factor. One-quarter of men aged 18 to 34 follow the NFL closely (26%) compared to just one-in-nine (11%) for the CFL. A similar ratio is evident for men 35 to 54 (34% NFL vs 19% CFL), while older men (55+) follow both leagues at an equal level, approximately three-in-ten.
If you could watch just one game, would it be the Super Bowl or the Grey Cup?
More Key Findings
Older Canadians
Men and women over the age of 54 are divided about which game they would prefer if they had to choose one. In fact, both lean slightly toward watching the Grey Cup rather than the Super Bowl. That said, three-quarters of men and women younger than this would choose the February American spectacle over November’s Canadian tradition.
NFL or CFL
Among all football fans, 44 per cent say they prefer the NFL to the CFL, while 36 per cent offer the opposite view. Another one-in-five (19%) don’t feel the need to choose a side, and say they like both equally
Fan Favorites
Those who like both leagues equally are much more likely to say they would watch the Super Bowl than the Grey Cup (65% to 35%)
Survey Methodology
For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, click here.
To read the full report, including detailed tables and methodology, click here.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Shachi Kurl, President: 604.908.1693 shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl
Dave Korzinski, Research Director: 250.899.0821 dave.korzinski@angusreid.org
From the Angus Reid Institute, Canada’s non-profit foundation committed to independent research.
For detailed breakdown of the results, visit angusreid.org