The Canadian Football League capitalized on many Canadians enjoying an extra night of fun during August long weekend.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ last-minute 26-24 win over the Ottawa Redblacks netted the highest English television audience for any Sunday night game on the CFL schedule so far in 2023. Previous totals from this season are as follows: Week 1, Saskatchewan at Edmonton, 535,300; Week 2, Hamilton at Toronto, 264,000; Week 3, Toronto at Edmonton, 423,000; Week 5, Montreal at B.C., 489,000; Week 7, Ottawa at Calgary, 499,100; and Week 8, Calgary at Montreal, 388,200. Week 4 and Week 6 did not feature Sunday games.
It’s important to note the two Sunday Alouettes games had above-average RDS audiences. Either way, Sunday night primetime three-down football has enough of a sample size to determine that it’s working well for the league. Sunday is traditionally a strong TV viewing/streaming night and the CFL has finally taken advantage.
From Week 1 through 13, the league had only two without a Sunday night game on the schedule until the NFL begins playing its regular season on September 10. The CFL changed the start time for the Labour Day Classic between the Blue Bombers and Riders from its midday start time to 7 p.m. ET to align with its consistent scheduling time on Sundays this year.
Meanwhile, Brett Lauther’s heroics were watched by the largest 25-54 age demographic audience in Week 9 with 201,700 tuning in. 190,500 watched the Bombers put a 50-burger on the Lions, 161,500 saw the Als handle Hamilton, and 142,400 witnessed Chad Kelly get hurt live on TV.
2023 Week 9 TV ratings:
Thursday
B.C. at Winnipeg — 546,700
Friday
Toronto at Calgary — 448,000
Saturday
Montreal at Hamilton — TSN 478,200 and RDS 142,100 (620,300 total)
Sunday
Ottawa at Saskatchewan — 629,700
Total Week 9 average: 525,650 (French included: 561,175)
