Canadians’ age and region determines their preference in football, Angus Reid study suggests
Posted September 1, 2018 9:08 am.
Last Updated September 1, 2018 2:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Whether you follow the B.C. Lions or the Seattle Seahawks more closely might depend on your age and region.
With the NFL regular season right around the corner, the Angus Reid Institute decided to ask Canadians how they feel about the respective football leagues.
Dave Krozinski, a research associate with Angus Reid, says the results suggest the older crowd of Canadian men tend to be more glued to the CFL rather than the NFL, but half of those polled are actually not following either. Overall, 20 per cent of Canadians follow both leagues, made up of 30 percent of Canadian men and a tenth of Canadian women.
Canadians who are 55 or older are also more into the Grey Cup than the Super Bowl, as opposed to younger football fans, who prefer the annual February spectacle.
“You ask Canadians 18 to 34 whether or not they would rather watch the CFL or the NFL and you see just over half of them actually preferring the NFL,” Korzinski says. “This becomes really stark is when you look at those percentages compared to the NHL, where you have got 43 per cent — so double the amount of Canadians — saying they follow that league.”
According to the poll, viewers under 35 years of age are more into the NFL, while those 55 and older have a penchant for the CFL.
The Land of the Living Skies turned out the be the most fervent follower of the CFL, however. Half of Saskatchewan watches the CFL, double the national average and 22 per cent more than in Alberta and B.C., where only 28 per cent follow domestic football.
“There’s a pride from Rider nation. They really do stand out,” says Korzniski.
The study also found that 56 per cent of Canadians watch at least some football and there has been a steady increase in viewership for both leagues since 2014.
