Following a year of double-digit audience growth and record-setting ratings, Sportsnet has now become the most-watched sports brand on TV in Canada. For the first time in the brand’s 17-year history, more Canadians are turning to Sportsnet channels than the competition, according to data from Numeris over the last 13 months.* The announcement was made yesterday as part of the annual Rogers Upfront.
“Five years ago, we made significant investments to build upon our strong sports foundation and declared our goal of making Sportsnet the #1 sports media brand in Canada. We secured the most coveted content, acquired the right assets, enhanced production elements, hired the best talent in front of and behind the camera, and integrated content across all five of our Sportsnet platforms with our NHL and Blue Jays offerings leading the way. The result is first-rate coverage of premium sports programming and a win for all Canadian sports fans with more choice of where, when and how to watch the content they want,” said Scott Moore, President of Sportsnet & NHL Properties, Rogers. “It’s been a great run – and we’re not done yet.”
From May 1, 2014 to May 31, 2015, the Sportsnet brand had the largest share and average minute audience of any sports brand on TV in the country, in the three key demos that matter most in sports: 2+, Men 18-34, and Adults 25-54. The numbers measure viewing on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet 360 compared to all TSN channels (TSN1-5). Here are the facts:
| Audience | Sportsnet Brand
(all Sportsnet channels) |
TSN Brand
(all TSN channels) |
| Share 2+ | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| AMA 2+ | 167,000 | 158,000 |
| Share Men 18-34 | 5.6 | 4.5 |
| AMA Men 18-34 | 21,000 | 17,000 |
| Share Adults 25-54 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| AMA Adults 25-54 | 63,000 | 60,000 |
On its rise to #1, Sportsnet experienced double-digit growth for all of its television assets during this same timeframe: Sportsnet (East, Ontario, West and Pacific) is up 13% in average audience, Sportsnet ONE is up 49%, while Sportsnet 360 is up 27%.
April 2015 marked Sportsnet’s best month on TV in network history. During the month, Sportsnet aired more than 501 hours of live sports programming. Driven by the stretch run of the 2014/15 NHL regular season, the highly-anticipated first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the start of the 2015 Blue Jays season, Sportsnet finished April with a share of 5.8 (vs. 3.1 to TSN) and average minute audience of 246,000 (vs. 133,000 for TSN).
*Source: Numeris, AMA(000) & Share of Total TV English, May 1, 2014–May 31, 2015 (confirmed up to May 17, 2015), Total Canada. All audiences are 2+, unless otherwise noted.