Super Bowl or Grey Cup: Study finds western provinces more likely to prefer Canada’s game
Posted February 10, 2023 9:25 am.
As millions gear up for Super Bowl Sunday, one of the biggest sporting games of the year, a new study suggests some Canadians would give it up to support local games.
The study conducted by the Angus Reid Institute says if only one game could be watched, 62 per cent of football fans in Canada would rather watch the Super Bowl over the Grey Cup.
The majority of the other 38 per cent, well, they come from Alberta and the Prairies.
The study also indicated each league holds certain strengths for the different regions in Canada.
For the Prairies, roughly 41 per cent of residents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba say they follow the CFL closely, while only 22 per cent follow the NFL.
Percentage of Canadians that follow the CFL and NFL closely.
Meanwhile, out east, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces indicate a much bigger liking of the southern game.
Football also seems to be less of an interest in young men. The study found 26 per cent of men aged 18 to 34 follow the NFL closely, compared to 11 per cent for the CFL.
In men aged 35 to 54, the NFL sits at 34 per cent, while the CFL sits at 19 per cent. Roughly three-in-ten men above 55 follow both leagues.
The institute previously did the study asking Canadians in 2014 and 2018 which league they prefer. In 2014, CFL topped the table with a 44 per cent preference compared to 29 per cent for the NFL. In 2018, both sat even at 39 per cent.
