Ever wondered who makes money when Canada gets caught up in a big sporting event? The players and teams get most of the attention, but there’s plenty happening behind the scenes. Some businesses are paying enormous sums to get involved, and others are making a fortune from the excitement.
Being a sports fan can be an expensive hobby. A ticket to see your favourite team is one thing, but throw in a weekend away, a hotel and a few beers, and the bill starts getting interesting. Of course, there’s plenty of money being made from all that enthusiasm. Canadian sport is big business, and some of the biggest earners aren’t even on the field.
A big game can be good news for businesses across an entire city. Visiting supporters need somewhere to stay, and they’re likely to spend money on meals or entertainment during their trip. Even fans who live nearby might make an afternoon or evening of it, spending considerably more than the price of admission.
Canadians made 10.5 million domestic trips in 2025 that involved attending a sporting event as spectators. That’s a lot of people travelling to watch sport, and every trip creates opportunities for businesses that have nothing to do with running the event.
Toronto got a particularly good taste of this during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city hosted six matches, attracting approximately 250,000 stadium visitors. Another 350,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival over its 23-day run, demonstrating that plenty of supporters wanted to be part of the occasion without necessarily having a match ticket.
The celebrations also reached Nathan Phillips Square, where approximately 60,600 people attended public match screenings. The city’s World Cup activities brought supporters together in several locations, giving local businesses opportunities to serve visitors beyond the stadium itself.
The interesting part is that a city doesn’t need everyone to buy a stadium ticket to benefit. A supporter watching a public screening might still book accommodation or spend money at a nearby restaurant. That’s part of what makes hosting major sporting events attractive to local businesses.
Of course, most Canadians aren’t travelling across the country every time their team plays. They’re watching from the couch, and that audience is worth serious money.
Hockey provides a particularly good example. Rogers secured a 12-year Canadian national NHL broadcasting agreement worth C$11 billion, beginning with the 2026–27 season. The deal demonstrates just how much broadcasters are prepared to pay to put professional hockey in front of Canadian viewers.
Rogers also signed a 12-year sublicensing agreement with Prime Video, giving the streaming service exclusive Canadian coverage of Wednesday-night NHL games and selected playoff series. The arrangement includes at least 26 regular-season games each season.
There’s a straightforward business reason behind these enormous commitments. Popular sports programming gives broadcasters something subscribers genuinely want to watch, especially when games are available exclusively through one service.
A fan might never buy a ticket to an NHL game, but their interest still has considerable commercial value.
There’s plenty of money in Canadian sports betting, and bookmakers are keen to get their hands on a share of it. With so many people following hockey and football, there’s a ready audience for betting markets covering everything from the Stanley Cup to the World Cup.
Of course, getting someone to open an account is one thing; persuading them to keep using it is another. That’s where promotions come into the picture, with bookmakers offering different deals depending on whether you’re signing up for the first time or already have an account.
The sportsbook promos available in Canada include welcome bonuses, free bets and other incentives designed to attract new customers and reward existing ones.
There’s a fair bit of fine print involved, though. A deposit bonus might require you to put money into your account before receiving anything extra, and free bets can carry minimum odds or wagering conditions. Provincial restrictions can also determine which offers are available.
Bookmakers spend money attracting customers because they’re hoping to earn it back through continued betting activity. The promotions are part of that calculation, and they show just how much commercial interest there is in Canadians following their favourite sports.
The money surrounding Canadian sport reaches a lot further than the price of a game ticket. A major event can bring visitors into a city and give local businesses a busy weekend. Television audiences are valuable enough to justify enormous broadcasting agreements, and sportsbooks compete for their own share of the interest.
That’s what makes the business of sports fandom so interesting. You might spend a couple of hours watching your favourite team play, but there’s an entire industry earning money from your enthusiasm, whether your team wins or loses
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