The CFL should be thanking Rider Nation, perhaps every day.
Green and white faithful always tune in and support the Roughriders which greatly lifted the average weekly rating for the three-down league, especially with the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a bye week.
It’s not a revelation to see the Riders post another large TV audience number, but it was critical in Week 13 for the CFL to avoid it’s first sub-400,000 week of the 2021 season. 583,100 people watched Saskatchewan clinch a playoff spot with an admittedly ugly 19-14 win in La Belle Province.
For context, it’s fair to assume the overall number of viewers was actually significantly higher as RDS has recently averaged over 100,000 for Alouettes broadcasts. It was by far the highest-rated game of the week, despite the low score there was uncertainty in the outcome until Duke Williams secured an onside kick late in the fourth quarter for the second time in two games as a Rider.
Even though the Argonauts drew the smallest viewership number, it’s worth highlighting more people watched the double blue punch a post-season ticket on TV than caught CFL fan Scottie Barnes and his performance in a Raptors win over the Pacers and game four of the World Series between the Houston Astors and Atlanta Braves.
Note: The Maple Leafs 5-4 overtime win against the Red Wings on Hockey Night in Canada was the top sports event on TV this past Saturday with 1,108,000 onlookers.
Week 13 TV ratings:
Friday
Calgary at Ottawa: 388,400
Hamilton at Edmonton: 402,500
Saturday
B.C. at Toronto: 345,100
Saskatchewan at Montreal: 583,100
Total Week 13 average: 429,775
The CFL started with six of its first seven weeks over 500,000 average viewers on TSN, but the last half dozen weeks have each been under half-a-million.
Total Week 12 average: 492,650
Total Week 11 average: 407,333
Total Week 10 average: 482,360
Total Week 9 average: 469,925
Total Week 8 average: 431,300
Total Week 7 average: 519,650
Total Week 6 average: 466,000
Total Week 5 average: 562,975
Total Week 4 average: 510,100
Total Week 3 average: 525,400
Total Week 2 average: 571,050
Total Week 1 average: 526,950
