Roughriders lift CTV ratings as Week 17 boasts CFL’s fourth-best TV viewership in 2024

The Canadian Football League enjoyed positive viewership in Week 17 thanks in part to the Ottawa Redblacks and Saskatchewan Roughriders lifting Saturday’s audience on CTV.

The two teams drew 409,900, average viewers which is a substantial increase from the Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 15 (275,000) and Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa in Week 16 (317,800). The CFL returned to CTV this year for the first time since 1986, though the results so far have left much to be desired.

The Riders travel to Edmonton in Week 18 with a chance to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2021.

The Elks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers led the CFL’s television ratings for Week 17 with all four games above 400,000. The 476,475 average audience across all four matchups was the fourth-best in 2024 to date behind Week 11, Week 12, and Week 13, the last of which includes Labour Day.

All four CFL games were heavily outdrawn by the NFL on Sunday Night Football as 977,400 Canadians tuned in to watch the Buffalo Bills suffer a surprise blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That was the most-watched sports event on TV last weekend.

2024 Week 17 TV ratings

Friday
Edmonton at Winnipeg — TSN 594,600
Hamilton at B.C. — TSN 478,100

Saturday
Ottawa at Saskatchewan — CTV 409,900
Montreal at Toronto — TSN 423,300 and RDS 206,300 (629,600 total)

Total average: 476,475 (French included: 528,050)