CFL touts first quadruple-header since 1995 as TV ratings success

Photo courtesy: Samantha Keen/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Canadian Football League is patting itself on the back after its first quadruple-header in over 30 years delivered some of the season’s best television broadcast ratings.

In an official social media post on Thursday, the CFL revealed that all of TSN’s top three highest-rated broadcasts last week were part of the historic four-game slate. The three-down league was also responsible for the top broadcast on RDS, its French-language affiliate.

While exact viewership figures were not provided, Saturday’s nightcap between the B.C. Lions and Montreal Alouettes was reported as the second-most-watched CFL game of the 2026 season. The annual Banjo Bowl clash between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders drew the third-largest audience this year.

The Bombers recorded a 19-6 victory in a low-scoring affair, while the Lions prevailed 48-29 in a game marred by allegations of dirty play and a sideline brawl.

The Toronto Argonauts defeated the  Ottawa Redblacks in a game that kicked off the Week 15 slate at 1:00 p.m. EDT, while the Edmonton Elks blew out the Calgary Stampeders in between the two top-rated games.

The CFL did not reveal which game had the highest viewership this season. Ratings data for TSN and RDS are not publicly available and could not be independently verified.

Other major events broadcast on TSN last week which were allegedly outpaced by the CFL in total viewership include the NFL season-opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, NFL Sunday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, and the U.S. Open tennis finals.

The last time that the CFL scheduled four games to be played on the same day was 1995. However, there were 13 teams in the league that season, with five American expansion franchises competing in the South Division.

There were concerns that the heavy Saturday slate last week would deter fans from watching every game, deflating viewership overall. It appears that those fears were unfounded and that the CFL had its best week on TV yet, perhaps foreshadowing future quadruple-headers.

Just three CFL games are scheduled to take place in Week 16: one on Friday night and two on Saturday.