The following is a list of most watched television broadcasts in Canada based on average viewership of the broadcasts. In recent years, the Super Bowl has frequently been the most-watched television broadcast of the year in Canada. The most-watched television broadcast in Canadian history was the gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics, played between the United States and Canada in Vancouver, with an average minute audience of 16.6 million Canadians watching the game, roughly one-half of Canada's population in 2010. [1]
The lists below include programs that were broadcast in Canada, regardless of their country of origin. Where applicable, these lists also factor in simultaneous substitution of American programs airing on Canadian networks (such as The Big Bang Theory on CTV). These lists also aggregate the English and French language broadcasts of sports programming (such as Super Bowl LIV on CTV, TSN, RDS).
These lists do not combine the viewership of major events that have been individually covered by multiple Canadian broadcasters simultaneously (such as the September 11th attacks). Where applicable, sporting event pre-game and post-game shows (as identified in Numeris data) are also excluded entirely, as they benefit from the strong lead-in or lead-out of the live sports broadcast, and otherwise would not be aired. Viewership obtained through reruns is not combined into the figures for the original broadcast, as reruns are considered separate airings of the same program.
The viewership figures listed are based on live plus seven day average minute audience data from Numeris [2] (which includes DVR viewing up to seven days after broadcast). Peak audience and total reach figures are not listed. Since 2022, Numeris has limited public access to its data, [3] [4] where available, additional publicly accessible sources may be listed for individual broadcasts. The viewership figures listed on these publicly available sources may differ slightly from the viewership listed here, as not all public disclosures of viewership data include French language simulcasts, not all are based on the final published live plus seven day averages, and some may only include preliminary data based on one day of viewing and instead of seven.
The following is a list of the twenty most watched television broadcasts in Canada by average minute audience from at least 2002–2023, with primary audience measurement according to Numeris. [2]
Seven of the twenty most watched broadcasts took place during the 2010 Winter Olympics which were hosted by the Canadian city of Vancouver. During these Olympics, a new consortium was formed by some of Canada's major private broadcasting companies to simulcast many Olympic events. As such, many of the top twenty broadcasts listed below aired on multiple participating networks of the Olympic consortium, which is referred to as the National Olympic Network on Numeris ratings reports.
Each list below contains the top ten most watched television broadcasts in Canada within a calendar year, according to Numeris live plus seven day average minute audience measurement figures [2] (which includes DVR viewing up to seven days after broadcast).
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2023.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | time | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City vs. Philadelphia | 8.7 [27] | February 12, 2023 | CTV, TSN, RDS |
2 | 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game: Czechia vs. Canada | 4.777 | January 5, 2023 | TSN, RDS |
3 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 1 - Game 6: Tampa Bay vs. Toronto | 4.775 | April 29, 2023 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
4 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 - Game 5: Florida vs. Toronto | 4.2 | May 12, 2023 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
5 | 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinal game: United States vs. Canada | 4.0 | January 4, 2023 | TSN, RDS |
6 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 - Game 3: Florida vs. Toronto | 3.8 | May 7, 2023 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
7 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 - Game 2: Florida vs. Toronto | 3.638 | May 4, 2023 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
8 | 95th Academy Awards | 3.636 | Mar 12, 2023 | CTV |
9 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 2 - Game 1: Florida vs. Toronto | 3.624 | May 2, 2023 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
10 | 110th Grey Cup: Winnipeg vs. Montreal | 3.59 | Nov 19, 2023 | TSN, RDS |
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2022.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl LVI: Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati | 8.2 | February 13, 2022 | CTV, TSN, RDS |
2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup Final: Argentina vs. France | 4.8 | December 18, 2022 | CTV, TSN, RDS, Noovo |
3 | Bye Bye 2022 | 4.39 | December 31, 2022 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
4 | 2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Croatia vs. Canada | 4.38 | November 27, 2022 | CTV, TSN, RDS |
5 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 1 - Game 7: Tampa Bay vs. Toronto | 4.1 | May 14, 2022 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
6 | 2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Belgium vs. Canada | 3.73 | November 23, 2022 | CTV, TSN, RDS |
7 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 1 - Game 6: Tampa Bay vs. Toronto | 3.66 | May 12, 2022 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
8 | 109th Grey Cup: Toronto vs. Winnipeg | 3.35 | November 20, 2022 | TSN, RDS |
9 | 94th Academy Awards | 3.27 | March 27, 2022 | CTV |
10 | Infoman (New Years Eve special) | 3.0 | December 31, 2022 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2021.
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2020.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl LIV: San Francisco vs. Kansas City | 9.6 | February 2, 2020 | CTV, TSN, RDS |
2 | Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble | 5.9 [33] [34] | April 26, 2020 | CTV, Global, CBC, Citytv, V, CTV 2, OMNI, NTV, and 37 discretionary services [35] |
3 | One World: Together at Home | 5.1 [36] | April 18, 2020 | CTV, Global, CBC, Citytv, CTV 2, and 7 discretionary services [37] [38] |
4 | Bye Bye 2020 | 4.9 [39] [32] | December 31, 2020 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
5 | 92nd Academy Awards | 4.8 | February 9, 2020 | CTV |
6 | 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game: Canada vs. Russia | 4.2 | January 5, 2020 | TSN, RDS |
7 | Infoman (New Years Eve special) | 3.6 | December 31, 2020 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
8 | The Good Doctor ("I Love You") (season finale) | 3.03 | March 30, 2020 | CTV |
9 | 77th Golden Globe Awards | 3.01 | January 5, 2020 | CTV |
10 | NBA Conference Semifinals - Game 7: Toronto vs Boston | 2.7 | September 11, 2020 | TSN, RDS |
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2019.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NBA Finals - Game 6: Toronto vs. Golden State | 7.9 [40] | June 13, 2019 | TSN, CTV 1, RDS |
2 | NBA Finals - Game 5: Toronto vs. Golden State | 6.4 [41] | June 10, 2019 | Sportsnet, Citytv 1, RDS |
3 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Change Constant"/"The Stockholm Syndrome") (series finale) | 5.8 | May 16, 2019 | CTV |
4 | Super Bowl LIII: New England vs. Los Angeles Rams | 5.3 [42] [notes 1] | February 3, 2019 | CTV, CTV2, TSN, RDS |
5 | 91st Academy Awards | 5.2 [43] | February 24, 2019 | CTV |
6 | NBA Finals - Game 4: Toronto vs. Golden State | 4.7 [41] | June 7, 2019 | TSN, CTV 2, RDS |
7 | Bye Bye 2019 | 4.5 | December 31, 2019 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
8 | Stanley Cup Finals - Game 7: St. Louis vs. Boston | 4.2 | June 12, 2019 | CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
9 | NBA Finals - Game 3: Toronto vs. Golden State | 4.0 | June 5, 2019 | Sportsnet, Citytv, RDS |
10 | 107th Grey Cup: Hamilton vs. Winnipeg | 3.9 [44] | November 24, 2019 | TSN, RDS |
1 CTV & Citytv simultaneously substituted ABC's coverage of the games, while TSN, Sportsnet, and RDS aired the Canadian produced broadcasts.
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2018.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2018 Winter Olympics: Ice dance final | 5.7 | February 20, 2018 | CBC consortium |
2 | Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia vs. New England | 5.42 [45] [notes 1] | February 4, 2018 | CTV, RDS |
3 | 2018 Winter Olympics: Women's hockey gold medal game: Canada vs. United States | 4.8 | February 22, 2018 | CBC consortium |
4 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round 1 - Game 7: Toronto vs. Boston | 4.3 | April 25, 2018 | Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports |
5 | 90th Academy Awards | 4.73 [46] | March 4, 2018 | CTV |
6 | Bye Bye 2018 | 4.5 | December 31, 2018 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
7 | 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game: Sweden vs. Canada | 4.2 | January 5, 2018 | TSN, RDS |
8 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Imitation Perturbation") | 4.0 | October 25, 2018 | CTV |
9 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Bow Tie Asymmetry") | 3.93 | May 10, 2018 | CTV |
10 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Solo Oscillation") | 3.8 | January 11, 2018 | CTV |
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2017.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 89th Academy Awards | 5.80 | February 26, 2017 | CTV |
2 | Super Bowl LI: New England vs. Atlanta | 5.5 [notes 1] | February 5, 2017 | CTV, CTV2, TSN, RDS |
3 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Eastern Conference Final - Game 7: Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh | 5.2 [50] | May 25, 2017 | Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports |
4 | 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game: Canada vs. USA | 4.8 | January 5, 2017 | TSN, RDS |
5 | 105th Grey Cup: Toronto vs. Calgary | 4.3 [51] | November 26, 2017 | TSN, RDS |
6 | Bye Bye 2017 | 4.1 | December 31, 2017 | Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
7 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Comic-Con Condundrum") | 3.977 | February 23, 2017 | CTV |
8 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Holiday Summation") | 3.976 | January 5, 2017 | CTV |
9 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - First Round - Game 2: Toronto vs. Washington | 3.94 | April 15, 2017 | CBC, TVA Sports |
10 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Locomotion Reverberation") | 3.9 | February 9, 2017 | CTV |
The following is a list of the most watched television broadcasts of 2016. [52]
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl 50: Carolina vs. Denver | 8.3 | February 7, 2016 | CTV, RDS |
2 | 2016 Summer Olympics: Men's 100 metres final | 6.9 [53] | August 14, 2016 | CBC consortium, Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
3 | 88th Academy Awards | 5.7 | February 28, 2016 | CTV |
4 | 2016 American League Division Series: Game 3 - Toronto vs. Texas | 5.0 | October 9, 2016 | Sportsnet, TVAS |
5 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Sales Call Sublimation") | 4.6 | January 7, 2016 | CTV |
6 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Empathy Optimization") | 4.5 | January 14, 2016 | CTV |
7 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Meemaw Materialization") | 4.4 | February 4, 2016 | CTV |
8 | The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration (farewell concert) | 4.3 | August 20, 2016 | CBC |
9 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Valentino Submergence") | 4.27 | February 11, 2016 | CTV |
10 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Celebration Experimentation") | 4.26 | February 25, 2016 | CTV |
The following is a list of the ten most watched television broadcasts of 2015. [15]
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl XLIX: New England vs. Seattle | 9.2 | February 1, 2015 | CTV, RDS |
2 | 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game: Canada vs. Russia | 7.0 | January 5, 2015 | TSN, RDS |
3 | 87th Academy Awards | 5.5 | February 22, 2015 | CTV |
4 | 2015 American League Championship Series: Game 6 - Toronto vs. Kansas City | 5.3 | October 23, 2015 | Sportsnet, RDS2, RDS 1 |
5 | 2015 American League Division Series: Game 5 - Toronto vs. Texas | 5.3 | October 14, 2015 | Sportsnet, RDS |
6 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Opening Night Excitation") | 5.1 | December 17, 2015 | CTV |
7 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Colonization Application") | 4.5 | March 5, 2015 | CTV |
8 | 2015 American League Division Series: Game 4 - Toronto vs. Texas | 4.45 | October 12, 2015 | Sportsnet, RDS |
9 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Anxiety Optimization") | 4.36 | January 29, 2015 | CTV |
10 | 103rd Grey Cup: Ottawa vs. Edmonton | 4.29 [54] | November 29, 2015 | TSN, RDS |
1 RDS joined the broadcast in-progress at 9:45 PM.
The following is a list of the ten most watched television broadcasts of 2014.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2014 Winter Olympics: Men's hockey - gold medal game: Canada vs. Sweden | 8.5 | February 23, 2014 | CBC consortium, Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
2 | Super Bowl XLVIII: Seattle vs. Denver | 7.9 | February 2, 2014 | CTV, RDS |
3 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Second Round - Game 7: Montreal vs. Boston | 7.2 | May 14, 2014 | CBC, RDS |
4 | 86th Academy Awards | 6.4 | March 2, 2014 | CTV |
5 | Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final - Game 6: Montreal vs. New York Rangers | 6.2 | May 29, 2014 | CBC, RDS |
6 | Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final - Game 4: Montreal vs. New York Rangers | 6.1 | May 25, 2014 | CBC, RDS |
7 | Stanley Cup Playoffs - Second Round - Game 6: Montreal vs. Boston | 6.04 | May 12, 2014 | CBC, RDS |
8 | Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final - Game 5: Montreal vs. New York Rangers | 6.0 | May 27, 2014 | CBC, RDS |
9 | 2014 FIFA World Cup final - Germany vs. Argentina | 5.8 | July 13, 2014 | CBC, Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
10 | Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final - Game 3: Montreal vs. New York Rangers | 5.5 | May 22, 2014 | CBC, RDS |
The following is a list of the ten most watched television broadcasts of 2013. [55]
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl XLVII Baltimore vs. San Francisco | 7.3 | February 3, 2013 | CTV, RDS |
2 | 85th Academy Awards | 6.3 | February 24, 2013 | CTV |
3 | Stanley Cup round 1 - Game 7: Toronto vs. Boston | 5.7 | May 13, 2013 | CBC, RDS |
4 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Deception Verification") | 5.3 | September 26, 2013 | CTV |
5 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Hofstadter Insufficiency") | 5.1 | September 26, 2013 | CTV |
6 | Stanley Cup round 1 - Game 6: Toronto vs. Boston | 4.89 | May 12, 2013 | CBC, RDS |
7 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Bakersfield Expedition") | 4.85 | January 10, 2013 | CTV |
8 | 101st Grey Cup: Hamilton vs. Saskatchewan | 4.5 | November 24, 2013 | TSN, RDS |
9 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Thanksgiving Decoupling") | 4.72 | November 21, 2013 | CTV |
10 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Egg Salad Equivalency") | 4.69 | January 3, 2013 | CTV |
The following is a list of the ten most watched television broadcasts of 2012. [22] [56]
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants vs. New England | 8.2 | February 5, 2012 | CTV, RDS |
2 | 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony | 7.5 | August 12, 2012 | Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium |
3 | 84th Academy Awards | 6.5 | February 26, 2012 | CTV |
4 | 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony | 6.4 | July 27, 2012 | Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium |
5 | 2012 Summer Olympics: Men's 100 metres final | 6.2 [57] | August 5, 2012 | Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium |
6 | 100th Grey Cup: Calgary vs. Toronto | 5.8 | November 25, 2012 | TSN, RDS |
7 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Re-Entry Minimization") | 5.3 | October 18, 2012 | CTV |
8 | 54th Annual Grammy Awards | 4.95 | February 12, 2012 | Global |
9 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Holographic Excitation") | 4.90 | October 25, 2012 | CTV |
10 | The Big Bang Theory ("The Extract Obliteration") | 4.87 | November 1, 2012 | CTV |
The following is a list of the ten most watched television broadcasts of 2011. [12]
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 7: Boston vs. Vancouver | 9.7 | June 15, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
2 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 6: Boston vs. Vancouver | 7.5 | June 13, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
3 | Super Bowl XLV: Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay | 7.3 | February 6, 2011 | CTV, RDS |
4 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 5: Boston vs. Vancouver | 6.8 | June 10, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
5 | 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game Russia vs. Canada | 6.7 | January 5, 2011 | TSN, RDS |
6 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 2: Boston vs. Vancouver | 6.3 | June 4, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
7 | 83rd Academy Awards | 6.28 | February 27, 2011 | CTV |
8 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 1: Boston vs. Vancouver | 6.24 | June 1, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
9 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 3: Boston vs. Vancouver | 6.1 | June 6, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
10 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 4: Boston vs. Vancouver | 5.8 | June 8, 2011 | CBC, RDS |
The Canadian city of Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, which was highly watched among Canadians on the participating networks of Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. [11] The consortium was formed specifically for the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games, with primary coverage appearing on CTV and V, in English and French respectively. Many of the top broadcasts in Canadian history occurred during these Olympics, as such the top broadcasts from 2010 are broken down into three lists: overall, Olympics, and non-Olympics.
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vancouver 2010: Men's hockey – Canada vs. USA gold medal game | 16.67 | February 28, 2010 | Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium |
2 | Vancouver 2010: Closing Ceremony | 14.44 | February 28, 2010 | |
3 | Vancouver 2010: Opening Ceremony | 13.50 | February 12, 2010 | |
4 | Vancouver 2010: Men's hockey – Canada vs. USA preliminary round game | 10.68 | February 21, 2010 | |
5 | Vancouver 2010: Men's hockey – Canada vs. Russia quarterfinal game | 10.56 | February 24, 2010 | |
6 | Vancouver 2010: Men's hockey – Canada vs. Slovakia semifinal game | 9.87 | February 26, 2010 | |
7 | Vancouver 2010: Women's hockey – Canada vs. USA gold medal game | 7.50 | February 25, 2010 | |
8 | Vancouver 2010: Men's hockey – Canada vs. Germany qualification playoff game | 7.43 | February 23, 2010 | |
9 | Vancouver 2010: Short track speed skating – Men's 1000 metres finals | 7.23 | February 20, 2010 | |
10 | Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans vs. Indianapolis | 6.92 | February 7, 2010 | CTV, RDS |
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Men's hockey – Canada vs. USA gold medal game | 16.67 | February 28, 2010 | Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium |
2 | Closing Ceremony | 14.44 | February 28, 2010 | |
3 | Opening Ceremony | 13.50 | February 12, 2010 | |
4 | Men's hockey – Canada vs. USA preliminary round game | 10.68 | February 21, 2010 | |
5 | Men's hockey – Canada vs. Russia quarterfinal game | 10.56 | February 24, 2010 | |
6 | Men's hockey – Canada vs. Slovakia semifinal game | 9.87 | February 26, 2010 | |
7 | Women's hockey – Canada vs. USA gold medal game | 7.50 | February 25, 2010 | |
8 | Men's hockey – Canada vs. Germany qualification playoff game | 7.43 | February 23, 2010 | |
9 | Short track speed skating – Men's 1000 metres finals | 7.23 | February 20, 2010 | |
10 | Men's hockey – Canada vs. Switzerland preliminary round game | 6.89 | February 18, 2010 |
No. | Show | Viewership (in millions) | Date | Network(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Super Bowl XLIV: New Orleans vs. Indianapolis | 6.92 | February 7, 2010 | CTV, RDS |
2 | Stanley Cup round 2 – Game 7: Montreal vs. Pittsburgh | 6.90 | May 12, 2010 | CBC, RDS |
3 | 82nd Academy Awards | 6.2 | March 7, 2010 | CTV |
4 | 98th Grey Cup: Montreal vs. Saskatchewan | 6.2 | November 28, 2010 | TSN, RDS |
5 | 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game: Canada vs. USA | 5.8 | January 5, 2010 | TSN, RDS |
6 | 2010 FIFA World Cup Final: Netherlands vs. Spain | 5.5 | July 11, 2010 | CBC, Ici Radio-Canada Télé |
7 | Stanley Cup round 2 – Game 6: Montreal vs. Pittsburgh | 5.1 | May 10, 2010 | CBC, RDS |
8 | Stanley Cup Finals – Game 6: Chicago vs. Philadelphia | 5.1 | June 9, 2010 | CBC, RDS |
9 | Stanley Cup round 3 – Game 3: Montreal vs. Philadelphia | 4.9 | May 10, 2010 | CBC, RDS |
10 | Stanley Cup round 1 – Game 7: Washington vs. Montreal | 4.9 | May 10, 2010 | TSN, RDS |
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The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a division of the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE. It is Canada's largest privately or commercially owned network consisting of 22 owned-and-operated stations nationwide and two privately owned affiliates, and has consistently been placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival Global Television Network in key markets.
The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, owned jointly by Bell Media (70%) and ESPN Inc. (30%), itself a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. TSN was established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. TSN is the largest specialty channel in Canada in terms of gross revenue, with a total of CA$400.4 million in revenue in 2013.
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then was required to divest its stake in the network following its 2001 acquisition of competing network TSN. Rogers then became the sole owner of Sportsnet in 2004 after it bought the remaining minority stake that was held by Fox.
CTV Sports was the division of the CTV Television Network responsible for sports broadcasting. The division existed in its own right from 1961 to 2001; between 1998 and 2001, CTV Sports also operated a cable sports network, CTV Sportsnet, now owned by Rogers Media and known simply as Sportsnet.
Sports broadcasting contracts in Canada include:
As of the 2022 NFL season, CTV and TSN broadcast Sunday games. Monday Night Football airs exclusively on TSN. TSN and CTV 2 own rights to Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football. RDS carries games in the French language from all timeslots. U.S. network television feeds may also be available, often from multiple markets, on cable and satellite ; all games are subject to simultaneous substitution. Monday Night Football also airs in simultaneous substitution with the ABC feed on CTV2 beginning with the 2023 season.
Established in 2007, Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium was a joint venture set up by Canadian media companies Bell Media and Rogers Media to produce the Canadian broadcasts of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, as well as the two corresponding Paralympic Games. Bell owned 80% of the joint venture, and Rogers owned 20%.
TVA Sports is a Canadian French-language sports specialty channel owned by the Groupe TVA, a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media. The channel is a general-interest sports network, and the first major competitor to RDS, the only other French-language sports channel in the country.
Major League Soccer has been broadcast live in the United States nationally since the league's inception in 1996 and in Canada since 2007. As of the 2023 season, Apple Inc. is the primary global rights holder and streams every regular season and playoff match on MLS Season Pass – a new service on the Apple TV app. Some matches will also be broadcast on television via Fox Sports in the United States, and Bell Media in Canada.
Motive is a Canadian police procedural television series that aired for four seasons on CTV from February 3, 2013, to August 30, 2016. The series premiere had 1.23 million viewers, making it the number one Canadian series premiere of the 2012–13 season.
NHL on Sportsnet is the blanket title for presentations of the National Hockey League broadcast held by a Canadian media corporation, Rogers Communications, showing on its television channel Sportsnet and other networks owned by or affiliated with its Rogers Media division, as well as the Sportsnet Radio chain. Sportsnet previously held the national cable rights for NHL regular season and playoff games from 1998 to 2002. In November 2013, Rogers reached a 12-year deal to become the exclusive national television and digital rightsholder for the NHL in Canada, beating out both CBC Sports and TSN.
Super Bowl television ratings have traditionally been high. One of the most watched annual sporting events in the world, the NFL's championship game is broadcast in over 130 countries in more than 30 languages. Viewership is predominantly North American; the Super Bowl is the most watched television broadcast in the United States every year.
Cardinal is a Canadian crime drama television series, which was first broadcast on January 25, 2017, on CTV and Super Écran. The series adapts the novels of crime writer Giles Blunt, focusing on police detective John Cardinal and his partner Lise Delorme, who investigate crimes in the fictional city of Algonquin Bay.
The 2019–20 network television schedule for the five major English commercial broadcast networks in Canada covers primetime hours from September 2019 through August 2020. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2018–19 television season, for Canadian, American and other series.
Transplant is a Canadian medical drama television series created by Joseph Kay, which premiered on February 26, 2020, on CTV. The series centres on Bashir "Bash" Hamed, a doctor from Syria who comes to Canada as a refugee during the Syrian Civil War, and is rebuilding his career as a medical resident in the emergency department at the fictional York Memorial Hospital in Toronto.