In the dimly lit press box at Rogers Arena last night, I watched as hundreds of smartphone screens illuminated the stands during a crucial third-period Canucks power play. Not a decade ago, these fans would have been solely fixated on the ice. Today, they’re simultaneously watching, recording, tweeting, and consuming sports in ways that fundamentally transform how we experience athletics in Canada.
“The modern fan isn’t just a spectator anymore—they’re a participant in the narrative,” explains Darren Millard, digital strategy director for Sportsnet. “They’re creating content, driving conversations, and demanding a different type of engagement than previous generations.”
This shift represents perhaps the most significant transformation in Canadian sports consumption since the arrival of television. A recent Sports Media Canada survey revealed that 78% of Canadian sports fans now use at least one social media platform while watching live games, with that number jumping to 91% among viewers under 35.
The implications extend far beyond simple viewing habits. Canadian sports properties are reconstructing their entire business models around digital-first experiences. The Toronto Raptors’ digital team has grown from three employees in 2014 to over 30 today, producing content across twelve platforms in seven languages.
“We’re not just competing with other sports teams,” says Teresa Resch, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Raptors. “We’re competing with Netflix, TikTok, and every other form of entertainment for a share of people’s attention.”
The financial stakes are immense. Digital revenue streams now account for approximately 31% of the average Canadian professional sports team’s income, according to data from PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 2023 Sports Outlook report. This represents a 143% increase from just five years ago.
For athletes, this digital transformation creates both opportunity and pressure. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has witnessed this evolution firsthand over his nine-year NHL career.
“When I first entered the league, media day meant talking to newspapers and television. Now it’s creating TikToks, Instagram Stories, and personalized content for team channels,” Matheson notes. “The expectation is that you’re not just an athlete, but a content creator and personal brand.”
This reality has transformed how young Canadian athletes approach their careers. At the Canadian Sport Institute in Calgary, media training now occupies a significant portion of athlete development programs. Prospective Olympians receive instruction in everything from camera presence to Instagram analytics alongside their physical training.
“The ability to build and leverage a digital following can literally determine an athlete’s financial viability in many Olympic sports,” explains Dr. Cathy Garbutt, sports marketing professor at Queen’s University. “Corporate sponsors increasingly value social engagement metrics alongside performance results.”
Traditional Canadian sports media has been forced to adapt or perish. The landscape is littered with outlets that failed to make the digital transition. Those that survive are reinventing themselves around digital-first principles.
CO24, like many modern sports media companies, has restructured its entire operation around multi-platform delivery. What began as a traditional newsroom now functions more like a content studio, producing everything from traditional long-form journalism to instant highlights packages optimized for specific platforms.
For Canadian sports leagues adapting to these changes, the challenges are substantial but so are the rewards. The Canadian Premier League, launched in 2019, built its entire structure around digital engagement rather than treating it as an add-on.
“We couldn’t compete with established leagues on traditional broadcasting deals,” reveals CPL Commissioner Mark Noonan. “So we invested heavily in creating digital experiences that larger, more established leagues couldn’t match due to existing contracts and operational structures.”
The strategy appears to be working. The CPL reports that 67% of its growing fanbase first discovered the league through social media rather than traditional broadcasts.
As Canadian sports continue this digital evolution, the fundamental question remains: in a landscape where attention is increasingly fragmented, how do sports properties create meaningful connections? The answer may lie in the community-building aspects of digital media rather than simply chasing views.
“The most successful sports organizations aren’t just counting followers—they’re building communities,” observes Dr. Garbutt. “They’re creating spaces where fans can connect with each other, not just consume content pushed at them.”
Perhaps this is the most Canadian aspect of our sports’ digital transformation—finding ways to use technology not just for promotion but for genuine connection. In a country shaped by vast distances and diverse communities, our sports are once again bringing us together, just through screens rather than solely in arenas.
As I left Rogers Arena last night, watching fans still engaged in digital conversations about the game they’d just witnessed, it struck me that perhaps sports haven’t fundamentally changed at all. They’ve always been about shared experiences and passionate debates. The platforms have evolved, but the essential nature of what makes sports meaningful remains unchanged.
The question now is not whether Canadian sports will continue to digitize—that’s inevitable—but whether they can maintain their soul in the process.
