Hockey is more than just a sport in Canada; it's a national obsession. Toronto, in particular, has a deep and passionate connection to the game. As one of the oldest and most legendary franchises in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gathered a loyal and passionate fan base over the years.
Despite not winning a Stanley Cup since 1967, the dedication and commitment of their supporters continues to be unwavering. From the iconic "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcasts to the electric atmosphere of the Scotiabank Arena on game day, there's something truly special about being a Leafs fan in Toronto.
At the time of writing, Toronto has just entered the 2nd round of the 2023 NHL playoffs for the first time since 2004. We decided it was a good moment to use our InstarTV software to see what we could uncover about the most loyal Leafs TV viewers*.
Who are the loyal Maple Leafs viewers?
It's no surprise that this group skews slightly more male than the population in general. This group is 57% male and 43% female. They are also slightly older; over half of them are aged 50+ which is 29% higher than average.
They come from all walks of life.
• One in ten of them are Executives, Senior or Middle Managers (68% higher than average).
• 5% of the group are Labourers which is 30% higher than the population and
• 6% fall under the Technical/Skilled Operators category which is 16% higher than the population.
Representatives from this group appear in virtually all the industries reported in Numeris’ TV PPM data but skew highest in the Transport sector, Health sector, Sales and Services.
What do they like to do?
Again it's no surprise that they like to play hockey. Almost 30% say they have skated or played hockey in the past year compared to 23% of the population in general. They are keen golfers too. The data shows that 25% have played in the past year, almost twice as many as the average Canadian.
We can presume that they do a fair amount of walking. Almost one-third of them own a dog, 15% more than Canadians in general.
This group also likes to eat out. Loyal Maple Leafs viewers are more likely than the Canadian population to visit various restaurants from coffee/donut shops to fast food restaurants, casual dining restaurants and bars/pubs.
Which other TV shows do Maple Leafs viewers watch?
When it comes to TV viewing the top shows for this group are dominated by hockey. However, they are also keen on baseball (Blue Jays, obviously), The Curse of Oak Island on History Channel and American Idol.
Top Shows for Maple Leafs Loyal viewers* (excluding any hockey programming, which is a given)
- Baseball: Blue Jays (Sportsnet National)
- The Curse of Oak Island (History)
- NHL All-Star Game (Sportsnet National)
- American Idol (Citytv Ontario)
- The Good Doctor (CTV Toronto)
- Auto: Formula One (TSN)
- Curling (TSN)
- Saturday Night Live (Global Ontario)
- Magnum PI (CTV Ontario)
- The Company You Keep (CTV Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs fans are more than just supporters of a hockey team. They are part of a community that spans generations and connects people from all walks of life (including a few celebrities).
*We created this analysis using the Tuning Audience feature in InstarTV. This allows us to pinpoint a specific audience (in this case the heaviest quintile of Leafs viewers) and use it in other types of analysis. NLogic clients can find out more about this feature on our Support Centre.
** Population here refers to the Numeris Total TV Universe.
Source: Numeris TV PPM data, February 1st - April 30th, 2023
