Spectator Sports in Canada - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
New York, United States
Last Updated: August 2024
NAICS 71120CARevenue
$4.2bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
$XX.Xm
Employees
14,440
Businesses
4,975
Wages
$XXX.Xm
Spectator Sports in Canada industry analysis
The spectator sports industry in Canada has experienced a dynamic blend of challenges and opportunities in recent times. A strong NHL season in 2022, buoyed by a new media rights deal in the US, exemplified a broader trend toward leveraging TV broadcasting and digital platforms to sustain revenue streams. Smaller leagues and teams grapple with financial instability, lacking the media contracts and sponsorships that bolster larger franchises. Revenue is expected to weaken at a CAGR of 1.9% to $4.2 billion over the years to 2024, including a growth of 2.2% in 2024 alone.
Trends and Insights
- The TV and media landscape is vital for Canadian spectator sports. Thanks to TV deals and digital platforms, teams continue to thrive even if in-person attendance dips.
- Older Canadians are the big spenders for sports franchises. They’ve got more disposable income and often buy tickets and merchandise for themselves and their kids.
- Ontario's a powerhouse for sports teams. It hosts a significant number of franchises, including Toronto's Raptors and Blue Jays, giving it a major stake in Canadian sports.
- The cost to establish sports franchises can be steep, often in the hundreds of millions. Expenses like paying salaries, charter flights, scouting and legal fees take up a large percentage of revenue.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.9 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $4.2bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
TV broadcasting and media deals drive spectator sports recovery in Canada
- Most professional sports games are broadcasted on TV, providing franchise owners with substantial revenue from contracts with TV networks.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Expanding streaming services will boost accessibility
- The proliferation of streaming services has greatly increased media accessibility. Leagues that don't otherwise have media rights contracts with broadcast networks or cable stations gain access to additional revenue streams.
Biggest companies in the Spectator Sports in Canada
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 | Profit ($m)
2024 | Profit Margin (%)
2024 |
|---|
There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the Spectator Sports in Canada industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Admissions to live sports events, Sporting event broadcast and other media rights and Advertising and endorsement revenue. Admissions to live sports events is the largest segment of the Spectator Sports in Canada.
Trends and Insights
Broadcast rights are increasingly crucial, particularly at the top
- Broadcast rights are only relevant to a few leagues at the top of the industry, but for those that are able to secure a lucrative contract, it can send revenue skyrocketing.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- TV Broadcasting in Canada
Complementors
- Concert & Event Promotion in Canada
- Golf Courses & Country Clubs in Canada
- Ski & Snowboard Resorts in Canada
International industries
- Sports Franchises in the US
- Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs in Australia
- Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs in New Zealand
- Sports Clubs in the UK
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The Spectator Sports industry in Canada comprises sports teams or clubs that participate in live professional or semiprofessional sporting events (e.g. baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer and other team sports) before a paying audience. The sports franchises included in this industry may or may not operate their own facilities for presenting games or other spectator sports events.
What's included in this industry?
Providing sporting entertainmentSelling tickets to sporting eventsSelling advertisingSelling media and broadcasting rightsSelling concessionsSelling merchandiseCompanies
Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
REVENUE-SHARINGSALARY CAPSPORTS PARTICIPATION RATEIndustry Code
NAICS 71121 - Spectator Sports in Canada
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
The TV and media landscape is vital for Canadian spectator sports. Thanks to TV deals and digital platforms, teams continue to thrive even if in-person attendance dips.
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Older Canadians are the big spenders for sports franchises. They’ve got more disposable income and often buy tickets and merchandise for themselves and their kids.
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Ontario's a powerhouse for sports teams. It hosts a significant number of franchises, including Toronto's Raptors and Blue Jays, giving it a major stake in Canadian sports.
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each province
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each province in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each province accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each province accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each province in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
The cost to establish sports franchises can be steep, often in the hundreds of millions. Expenses like paying salaries, charter flights, scouting and legal fees take up a lar...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
National Hockey League teams dominate sports franchises. Seven teams are located in Canada and the average valuation of the 31 franchises is over $1.0 billion.
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
Detailed analysis
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Sports franchises are lightly regulated by the government. Despite this, the league they're involved in has tight control over how individual teams operate.
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Sports franchises contend with extreme travel costs that are unique to sports franchises. This makes other costs much higher than normal.
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
- Assets (2017-2022)
- Liabilities (2017-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Canada include:
- Statistics Canada
- Industry Canada
- Canadian Business Patterns
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Spectator Sports industry in Canada in 2024?
The market size of the Spectator Sports industry in Canada is $4.2bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Spectator Sports in Canada industry in 2024?
There are 4,975 businesses in the Spectator Sports industry in Canada, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Spectator Sports industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Spectator Sports industry in Canada has been declining at a CAGR of 1.9 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Spectator Sports industry in Canada over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Spectator Sports industry in Canada is expected to grow.
What does the Spectator Sports in Canada include?
Providing sporting entertainment and Selling tickets to sporting events are part of the Spectator Sports industry.
How competitive is the Spectator Sports industry in Canada?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Spectator Sports industry in Canada.
