NFL in Canada? Not at the cost of CFL: poll

by Angus Reid | December 2, 2013 2:04 pm

[December 2, 2013] – A new national survey suggests that while more Canadians are following both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the US-based National Football League (NFL), they’re not necessarily keen to see the NFL make a move into the Canadian market.

While half of Canadians surveyed say they don’t have an opinion on the matter, 80% of those that do either don’t want the NFL to come to Canada or would only welcome the NFL if the CFL continued to operate. Less than 20% would be happy to see the NFL come to Canada, even if it meant the end of the CFL.

The online survey of 1,007 Canadians was conducted in mid-November as part of a joint research project between the University of Lethbridge and Angus Reid Global.

In every region of the country respondents with an opinion on the topic say they either don’t want the NFL to come to Canada or would only welcome the league if the CFL continued to operate. Indifference to the issue is highest in the Atlantic region – which currently is the only region without a CFL team. Yet even there only three per cent would welcome an NFL team in Canada if it meant the death of the CFL.

In Toronto the most likely home for a possible Canadian NFL team, only 15% would want to see the American league’s arrival if it means the end of the CFL. Canadian adults under 35 are more likely than others to welcome the NFL’s arrival.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology[1]

From November 18-19, 2013, Angus Reid Global conducted an online survey among 1,007 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error – which measures sampling variability – is +/- 3%. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

Endnotes:
  1. Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology: http://www.angusreidglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013.12.02-NFL-in-Canada.pdf

Source URL: https://angusreid.org/nfl-in-canada-not-at-the-cost-of-cfl-poll/