Canada’s Favourite Sports

Canada is a nation that is filled with sports-loving enthusiasts. The Great White North boasts a population that has a huge passion for many of the world’s biggest games, with it embedded into their ways of life and culture.

Sports has continued to dominate much of the population’s culture and sports betting has become an industry that is starting to boom nationwide. In fact, some may have even checked out The Punters Page webpage when it comes to placing a wager on the sports they love to further enhance any experience they may obtain.

Nonetheless, while the country is perhaps renowned around the world for its freezing temperatures and wintry conditions, it can often be hard to try and work out what the country’s favourite sporting pastimes are. Some are more obvious than others, but a few might surprise people, as Canada may not instantly be associated with it.

 

Ice Hockey: Canada’s national sport

It is impossible to deny that Canada’s favourite sport has to be ice hockey. The game is known to be the country’s national game and there is clear evidence that it is a game that is widely enjoyed by much of the population.

The NHL is the biggest league in the world, comprising 32 teams. Of those 32, seven organizations can be found in various areas of the country. There are teams based in Ontario and all the way through to the west coast of British Columbia. In fact, the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs were part of the “Original Six” of the NHL when it was founded. According to data regarding the 2021 Stanley Cup, more than 15.5 million Canadians watched, with three in five being found to watch the entire season.

 

The NBA has fans

Although there is only one professional basketball team to hail from Canada in the NBA in the form of the Toronto Raptors, the sport has continued to emerge as one of the most popular sports in the country.

 

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

 

During the Raptors’ winning campaign, viewing figures were extremely high and while they have dwindled since, they have continued to remain relatively strong. It is a sport that findings suggest is more suited to younger audiences, with many taking a keener interest in what happens throughout the duration of a season than ever before.

 

CFL – a game that continues to appeal

 

America has the NFL, and Canada has the CFL. There are some slight differences between each game that those who watch both would recognize immediately, but that has not stopped Canadians from enjoying the sport, with many playing in college.

Many continue to regularly watch throughout the season and keep an eye on the Grey Cup; the sport’s equivalent of the Super Bowl. Figures showed that more than 8.7 million adults would keep a close eye on the playoffs and more than 50% would watch all played games. However, it is still low compared to what the NFL attracts from Canada, despite the fact that no team from the region is in the league.