Canada’s Most Popular Sports in 2025: Participation Trends and Numbers
Canada’s sports culture in 2025 blends tradition, diversity, and rapid growth. Hockey still commands the national spotlight, but basketball, soccer, baseball and pickleball are rewriting participation trends and influencing fans of all ages. Below is an updated look at the most popular sports in Canada.
Hockey: Canada’s Most Popular Sport
No sport is more deeply connected to Canadian identity than hockey. It remains the most watched sport in the country.
Roughly 22 percent of Canadians list hockey as their favorite sport to watch (Wikipedia: Sports in Canada).
Youth hockey participation has dropped though from 523,000 players in 2010 to 411,818 in 2022, a decline of around 22 percent (AP News, 2023).
NHL attendance continues to average more than 17,000 fans per game league-wide (ESPN/NHL attendance reports).
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) has brought new momentum to the sport since its January 2024 launch, surpassing one million fans in attendance across just 14 months of operation. The league set a global attendance record for women's hockey with 21,105 fans at Montreal's Bell Centre in April 2024, while averaging 7,365 fans per game in its second season, up 27% from its inaugural year.
From the World Juniors to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, hockey continues to dominate national conversation and unite fans coast to coast; however, youth participation has declined over the last 15 years.
Soccer: The Fastest Growing Sport Among Canadian Youth
Soccer has exploded in popularity, especially among children. It is one of Canada’s most accessible sports and is poised for even more growth leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Government of Canada identifies soccer as the most popular sport among Canadian children (Sport Canada).
Fifty-five percent of Canadians aged 15 and older participated in sports such as soccer, hockey, swimming and running in the previous year (Statistics Canada, 2024).
Soccer’s combination of low cost, global appeal and school-based participation gives it an unmatched growth trajectory heading into the next decade.
Basketball: Canada’s Rising Powerhouse
Basketball is one of the fastest rising sports in the country, fueled by Canadian NBA stars and the lasting cultural impact of the Toronto Raptors.
Canada produces more NBA players than any country outside the United States (NBA player nationality reports).
The WNBA's expansion into Canada further signals basketball's growth trajectory. Toronto will become home to the league's first franchise outside the United States when the Toronto Tempo begins play in 2026, with additional games planned for Vancouver and Montreal to serve as Canada's team from coast to coast.
Among children aged 5 to 17, basketball participation is 17 percent, one of the highest youth team sport rates in the country (Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 2022).
Year-round indoor accessibility gives basketball a major advantage over more seasonal sports.
Baseball: Renewed Growth Through the Blue Jays Effect
Baseball continues to experience a resurgence thanks to a new competitive window for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays regularly draw more than 2.5 million fans per season, ranking near the top of MLB attendance (MLB attendance reports).
Past Blue Jays playoff runs in 2015 and 2016 correlated with youth baseball enrollment increases in Ontario and British Columbia (Baseball Canada participation summaries).
Canada’s youth baseball system remains one of the most stable for long-term participation.
When the Blue Jays perform well, national interest, TV ratings and grassroots participation all rise. The club’s strong roster position has amplified the sport’s visibility heading into the mid-2020s.
Canadian Football (CFL): A Tradition That Still Thrives
The CFL remains a core part of Canadian sports culture, particularly in Western Canada.
The 2025 Grey Cup averaged 4.02 million viewers across TSN, CTV and RDS, an increase of 12 percent year over year (3DownNation, 2025).
Winnipeg averaged 32,343 fans per home game in 2025, while Saskatchewan averaged 28,427 (CFL attendance data via Wikipedia).
The Grey Cup continues to rank among the most-watched Canadian broadcasts annually.
Cities like Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Calgary continue to show some of the strongest regional sports loyalty in the country.
Curling: A Canadian Cultural Staple
Curling remains one of Canada’s most identifiable and culturally significant sports, supported by strong national broadcasts and community-based clubs.
The Tim Hortons Brier averaged about 378,000 viewers on TSN, while the Scotties Tournament of Hearts averaged about 351,000 (Yahoo Sports Canada, 2024).
The 2025 Scotties Tournament reported total attendance of 63,971 spectators (Curling Canada, 2025 event summary).
Curling clubs remain essential community hubs in small towns and rural areas, preserving both tradition and social connection.
Pickleball: Canada’s Fastest Growing Recreational Sport
Pickleball has transformed from a niche activity into a national phenomenon.
While Canada-wide numbers vary by province, the country is tracking the same explosive pattern as the United States, where pickleball participation increased by more than 300 percent between 2021 and 2024 (USA Pickleball).
Canadian municipalities report full courts, long waitlists and continual conversions of tennis courts into pickleball facilities.
The sport appeals to all ages and has become a staple in recreation centres and community programs.
Running and Endurance Sports: Still a National Favourite
Running remains one of the most accessible and widely practiced physical activities across the country.
Statistics Canada reports that 27 percent of adults participated in running or jogging in 2023 (Statistics Canada, 2024).
The Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa marathons regularly host tens of thousands of runners collectively each year.
Running’s low barrier to entry and growing popularity in wellness culture keep it among Canada’s top recreational activities.
The Future of Canadian Sports: A Blend of Tradition and New Momentum
Canada’s sports landscape in 2025 sits at the intersection of tradition and evolution. Hockey remains the emotional heartbeat of the country, but soccer and basketball are shaping the next generation. Baseball is experiencing renewed energy through the Blue Jays effect. Running, pickleball and MMA continue to widen the spectrum of Canadian sport participation.
From coast to coast, Canadians are more active and more diverse in their sports interests than ever before. The decade ahead promises even more growth, excitement and national unity through sport.
