CFL attendance down slightly in 2026

Photo: Gord Weber/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

After four consecutive seasons of growth, the Canadian Football League saw a 1.6 percent year-over-year decrease in attendance in 2026.

According to official data, which has been compiled by 3DownNation, an average of 22,578 fans attended regular-season games this year, which is down from 22,942 in 2025. Attendance figures are self-reported by teams across the league and cannot be independently verified.

There would likely have been a larger drop-off in attendance had three Toronto Argonauts games not been moved to alternate locations amid the FIFA World Cup. These games were played in Winnipeg, Regina, and Hamilton, respectively, and far outdrew Toronto’s average crowds.

The Ottawa Redblacks experienced the CFL’s largest year-over-year attendance decrease at 16.4 percent. The team’s average crowds of 15,167 were the lowest in franchise history since at least 1970, with the exception of 2021 when some COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

For context, the Rough Riders averaged crowds of 16,847 in their final year of operations in 1996, while the ill-fated Renegades never averaged attendance below 18,489.

Ownership remains committed to the Redblacks despite poor on and off-field results, though they admitted last week they are losing more money than they anticipated.

The Edmonton Elks enjoyed by far the biggest year-over-year attendance increase in the CFL with average crowds of 22,421 — a 17.7 percent boost. The club earned its first playoff berth since 2019, and finished atop the West Division for the first time in over a decade.

Once the league’s perennial attendance leaders, Edmonton saw fan support collapse in recent years due to a variety of reasons, including a record 22-game home losing streak. The team averaged crowds of 35,000 as recently as 2010, 30,000 in 2018, and nearly 25,000 in 2023.

There’s still plenty of room for the Elks to grow their ticket sales, but the club is undoubtedly heading in the right direction after arguably the darkest chapter in franchise history.

The B.C. Lions experienced a 13.9 percent decrease in attendance this year, which is due at least in part to the two games it hosted at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna during the FIFA World Cup. With that said, the team’s best-attended game at the Apple Bowl slightly outdrew is worst-attended game at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats saw a 10.4 percent attendance decline to 20,482 fans per game. Other than 2021 when some COVID-19 restrictions were in place, this was the lowest average attendance the Tabbies have experienced since Hamilton Stadium opened just over a decade ago.

The Calgary Stampeders averaged crowds of 20,227 in 2026, a 9.3 percent decrease from 2025. Team president Jay McNeil recently addressed this in an interview with 3DownNation, citing the World Cup in Vancouver, poor weather, and the aging nature of McMahon Stadium as the primary reasons for the decline.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders saw a 2.1 percent attendance increase this season, which likely came as a result of last year’s Grey Cup victory. Attendance in Regina has grown slightly each year since 2022, though it remains below pre-pandemic levels. The Roughriders led the CFL in attendance in each year from 2016 to 2021, save for 2020 when there was no season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers led the league in attendance for the fifth-straight year with average crowds of 32,136. After selling out their entire season in 2025, the team came close to doing so again in 2026, though there was a year-over-year attendance decline of 0.6 percent.

The Montreal Alouettes saw a 0.5 percent attendance increase in 2026 with average crowds of 21,238. After a lull in June, crowds picked up in late-summer as the team was at near-capacity for each of its last five games, including two sellouts. The club has also already sold out the East Final.

The Toronto Argonauts experienced virtually no change to their attendance this season. This marks the third consecutive year in which Toronto’s average attendance has remained essentially flat — 15,127 in 2024, 15,109 in 2025, and 15,110 in 2026.

2026 CFL attendance averages

Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 32,136 (-0.6 percent)
Saskatchewan Roughriders, 29,024 (+2.1 percent)
B.C. Lions, 23,366 (-13.9 percent)
League average, 22,578 (-1.6 percent)
Edmonton Elks, 22,421 (+17.7 percent)
Montreal Alouettes, 21,238 (+0.5 percent)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 20,482 (-10.4 percent)
Calgary Stampeders, 20,227 (-9.3 percent)
Ottawa Redblacks, 15,167 (-16.4 percent)
Toronto Argonauts, 15,110 (flat)