East, West Final TV ratings up 18.2 percent for CFL in 2024

Photo: Gideon Mojica/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The CFL had an excellent day on television when the East and West Finals were played on Saturday in Montreal and Winnipeg, respectively.

The Toronto Argonauts went into Percival Molson Stadium in La Belle Province and knocked off the reigning Grey Cup champions 30-28 despite losing franchise quarterback Chad Kelly to a broken leg. Nick Arbuckle, who will start in the Grey Cup, helped his team run out the clock late to avoid any chance of an Alouettes comeback. The game was shown simultaneously on TSN and CTV, while last year’s East Final was shown only on TSN.

Winnipeg beat the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders to reach a fifth straight Grey Cup as Zach Collaros threw three touchdown passes to Kenny Lawler. The team led 24-9 at halftime and never looked back, winning by a final score of 38-22. M.O.P. hopeful Brady Oliveira rushed 20 times for 119 yards and one TD while catching two passes for 22 yards.

Hockey Night in Canada’s 7 p.m. window produced 1,495,300 average viewers and 10 p.m. game featuring the Edmonton Oilers versus the Vancouver Canucks brought in 1,076,500.

2024 Division Finals TV ratings:

Saturday
Toronto at Montreal — TSN and CTV 1,274,900 and RDS 439,100 (1,714,000 total)
Saskatchewan at Winnipeg — TSN 1,114,900

Average: 1,194,900 (French included: 1,414,450)

2023:

Montreal at Toronto — TSN 899,400 and RDS 448,900 (1,348,300 total)
B.C. at Winnipeg — TSN 1,046,000

Average: 972,700 (French included: 1,197,150)

2022:

Montreal at Toronto — TSN 629,000
B.C. at Winnipeg — TSN 1,200,000

Average: 914,500

2021:

Hamilton at Toronto — TSN 846,000
Saskatchewan at Winnipeg — TSN 1,346,000

Average: 1,096,000

2019:

Edmonton at Hamilton — TSN 898,400
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan — TSN 1,631,900

Average: 1,265,150

2018:

Hamilton at Ottawa — TSN 729,000
Winnipeg at Calgary — TSN 1,222,030

Average: 974,650

2017:

Saskatchewan at Toronto — TSN 1,406,000
Edmonton at Calgary — TSN 1,337,000

Average: 1,371,500

2016:

Edmonton at Ottawa — TSN 1,178,100
B.C. at Calgary — TSN 1,049,000

Average: 1,113,550

Justin Dunk
Justin Dunk is a football insider, sports reporter and anchor.