How many NHL fans are there in Canada?

Vividata's Spring 2026 SCC | Sports study finds 19.5 million Canadian adults identify as NHL fans.

How do young Canadian NHL fans follow hockey?

Among NHL fans aged 18 to 24, 52.2 per cent use TV for hockey news and highlights and 47.5 per cent use social media.

What share of Canadian NHL fans are highly engaged?

About 56 per cent, nearly 11 million adults, identify as Avid or Super Fans, according to Vividata.

What is the best way to target Canada's NHL fans?

Plan across TV, connected TV and social rather than relying on linear TV alone. Vividata's data shows younger fans split viewing between TV and social, while fans 65 and older still lean heavily on TV.

Capturing Canada’s Avid NHL Fans Across Television, Streaming, and Social Media

September 24, 2026 in Research, The Rollout

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With the NHL season starting September 29, both Montreal–Toronto and Vancouver–Edmonton are featured on the opening-night schedule. Vividata has fresh data just in time for your next media plan that finds 19.5 million Canadian adults identify as NHL fans, with the audience spread across generations. Among fans aged 18 to 24, 52.2 per cent use TV for hockey news and highlights, while 47.5 per cent use social media.

The stereotypical Canadian hockey fan is getting harder to define. New data from Vividata’s Spring 2026 SCC | Sports study finds Canada’s 19.5 million adult NHL fans span generations, levels of fandom and increasingly different ways of watching and following the game.

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About the author

Dave Forde

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Dave “The Connector” Forde is a 25-year veteran of the Canadian marketing, PR, and tech industries. He is the founder of The Connected One network, including industry news sites Canadian Ad Insider and PR In Canada, and serves as a strategic business advisor. Connect with him on LinkedIn and X.