The Canadian Football League’s experiment with regular season games on CTV did not produce an overall increase in television ratings, but the biggest number was saved for last.
Winnipeg needed a win in Montreal to clinch first place in the West Division. Many fans from the prairies were tuned into the game as Sergio Castillo made a last-second 51-yard field goal to give the Blue Bombers a 28-27 win, meaning the road to the Grey Cup goes through the Manitoba capital for a fourth straight season. The win also eliminated any chance of Saskatchewan finishing first in the West Division.
With first place on the line, fans from the league’s two largest markets, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, were tuned in. The late-game drama helped the league post its best regular season TV rating on CTV in 2024 and boosted the average for all seven games to 374,414.
Week 14: Saskatchewan at Winnipeg, 571,000
Week 15: Ottawa at Hamilton, 275,000
Week 16: Montreal at Ottawa, 231,000
Week 17: Ottawa at Saskatchewan, 409,900
Week 19: Edmonton at Calgary, 327,000
Week 20: Ottawa at Toronto, 231,000
Week 21: Montreal at Winnipeg, 576,000
A lack of sports competition on TV on Saturday afternoon likely helped the Bombers-Alouettes rating. World Series Game 1 between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers drew 569,900 on Friday night with Game 2 totaling 332,000 on Saturday night.
Hockey Night in Canada posted 1,528,600 viewers in the 7:00 p.m. EDT window and 789,400 during the 10:00 p.m. EDT window for the Vancouver Canucks’ 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Thursday Night Football on TSN and CTV produced 766,100 viewers as the Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 30-20. Sunday Night Football had 939,800 onlookers for the San Francisco 49ers’ 30-24 victory against the Dallas Cowboys.
2024 Week 21 TV ratings
Friday
Hamilton at Ottawa — TSN 356,500
Toronto at Edmonton — TSN 331,900
Saturday
Winnipeg at Montreal — CTV 576,000 and RDS 252,500 (828,500 total)
Calgary at Saskatchewan — TSN 331,900
Total average: 399,075 (French included: 462,200)
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