Canadian QB intrigue: Tre Ford’s first start of season helps Elks yield largest CFL TSN TV audience of 2023

The intrigue for Canadian quarterbacks is real.

Nathan Rourke proved it last year with the B.C. Lions and Tre Ford has given the latest data increase this year. It took eight games — all losses — for Edmonton Elks’ general manager and head coach Chris Jones to start the ultra-athletic 25-year-old and the dual-threat QB did enough for the green and gold to win. However, Edmonton’s defence allowed 38 points in the last three quarters to give the game away.

The contest marked the team’s 22nd straight home loss with Ford doing his best to end the dreaded North American pro sports record streak. He completed 80 percent of his passes and averaged 10 yards per carry with one touchdown through the air and another major on the ground. The 2022 first-round CFL draft pick earned another start with his performance, which could help Edmonton get in the win column along with the television ratings for the CFL on TSN.

Ford’s first game as QB1 this season led to the Elks recording the team’s highest-rated game on TV in 2023. Nearly 650,000 average viewers tuned in to watch Edmonton’s exciting young QB take on the blue and gold standard in the league for the last three seasons, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The game was also the highest-rated Thursday night broadcast of the season so far.

Edmonton’s previously highest-rated broadcast came in Week 6 when they hosted the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, drawing an audience of 578,800. The club has drawn an average audience of 508,700 so far this season including this past week’s game against Winnipeg.

The Bombers-Elks matchup drew the most eyeballs in the key 25-54 age demographic during Week 10 with a total of 226,700. Ottawa and Toronto drew 212,400 in the same category, Calgary and B.C. drew 139,900 and Saskatchewan and Montreal drew 176,400 on TSN and 35,900 on RDS.

It’s important to note there were no Blue Jays games on TV on Thursday (off day) or Friday night (Apple TV) to provide competition.

2023 Week 10 TV ratings:

Thursday
Winnipeg at Edmonton — 648,000

Friday
Saskatchewan at Montreal — TSN 525,700 and RDS 179,600 (705,300 total)

Saturday
Calgary at B.C. — 483,500

Sunday
Ottawa at Toronto — 550,000

Total Week 10 average: 551,800 (French included: 596,700)