New CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston says league in 'strong place'

Dan Ralph · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 5:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Stewart Johnston plans to easiness into his caller relation arsenic CFL commissioner.

Johnston officially took bureau Thursday pursuing 28 years astatine TSN. He'd served arsenic the sports broadcaster's president since 2010.

"My occupation volition beryllium to listen," Johnston said during his introductory quality league astatine a Toronto hotel. "I privation to perceive what are the 3 things radical deliberation we arsenic a league are doing wonderfully and what are the 2 things they deliberation we request to amended on.

"I deliberation it's important to inquire the archetypal question due to the fact that often it's casual to spell to the second. I privation to perceive astir what everyone is excited about, I privation to perceive crossed the state what is working, what are the champion practices? And from determination arsenic we execute against '25 we'll commencement processing our tactics and strategies for '26."

Johnston succeeds Randy Ambrosie, who had served arsenic commissioner since July 5, 2017. The 62-year-old Winnipeg native's seven-plus-year tenure is the second-longest ever down the precocious Jake Gaudaur (1968-84).

Johnston said he'd been approached astir the commissioner's occupation antecedently but ne'er felt the timing was right, until now.

"They [discussions] were little and informal and weren't astatine the close clip for maine to continue," helium said. "I'm truthful excited astir the momentum of the league.

"The league is successful a beardown place."

Johnston is anxious to enactment with the CFL Players' Association, adding he'd already met David Mackie, the union's caller enforcement director.

"The players are the stars of our league," Johnston said. "They nutrient the play and playmaking connected the field.

 "I speech astir amusement and it starts there."

Attendance a concern

Unlike galore of his predecessors, Johnston has the luxury of clip to get acclimated with the job. Currently, each 9 franchises look to beryllium connected coagulated footing and the 2025 and '26 Grey Cup games volition beryllium held successful Winnipeg and Calgary, respectively.

But the issues of attendance and an aging fanbase some persist.

The CFL averaged 22,764 spectators per crippled past year, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (31,196) again starring the mode up of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (27,684) and B.C. Lions (26,883). But Hamilton, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Ottawa and Toronto were each beneath the league mean though the Lions, Argos and Alouettes -- the league's 3 largest markets -- drew much fans successful 2024 than '23.

Still, the Grey Cup-champion Argos averaged 15,129 spectators, lowest successful the CFL. And a important information of the league's fanbase is 55 and older, underlying the urgency to find ways to entreaty to and entertain a younger audience.

"We indispensable code the aging fanbase by processing strategies to entreaty to a younger generation," Johnston said. "Introducing young radical to the athletics is indispensable for the aboriginal of the CFL and emblem shot plays a important relation successful this effort.

"By engaging the young radical and engaging them [into] shot we tin foster a emotion for the athletics astatine an aboriginal property ensuring a dependable pipeline of endowment and passionate fans for the future."

Something Johnston won't actively prosecute is simply a 10th franchise. Ambrosie was bullish astir adding an enlargement squad successful the Maritimes to make some a coast-to-coast CFL and balanced schedule.

"Would I similar a 10th team? Absolutely," Johnston said. "It volition not beryllium a superior absorption for maine arsenic I instrumentality connected this role.

"I privation to get this league with the 9 clubs that we person successful the champion signifier it tin be. However, if a large ownership radical approaches us, we'll surely listen."

Plan for adjacent media deal

Johnston volition pb the CFL into its adjacent broadcast agreement. The existent woody with TSN, reportedly worthy $50 cardinal annually, runs done 2026.

So, aft negotiating connected TSN's behalf for years, Johnston volition present beryllium doing truthful for the CFL.

"When I deliberation astir the adjacent media deal, I deliberation astir optimization," Johnston said. "The 3 components I would see successful optimizing the adjacent media woody see maximizing revenue, maximizing viewership and elevating our vulnerability to turn audiences.

"We [Johnston, TSN officials] cognize each different precise good truthful I deliberation we tin beryllium precise businesslike successful our discussion."

A sometimes-tricky constituent of the commissioner's occupation is trying to execute unanimity wrong a committee that consists of 9 abstracted entities and beardown personalities. But Johnston feels he's already started that process.

"I explained my imaginativeness and looked into 9 governors' eyes and said, 'Do you bargain into that,' and 9 said, 'Yes,' truthful it starts there," Johnston said. "We've already begun that process of uncovering a unified imaginativeness towards what volition instrumentality our league guardant not arsenic 9 competitors connected the tract but arsenic a league together.

"I'm going to reenforce that thought process with our owners."

And Johnston has a definite imaginativeness regarding the authorities of the CFL 5 years from now.

"Nine steadfast franchises with sustainable concern models," helium said. "Growth successful attendance, maturation successful commercialized assets, a large caller media woody and the CFL perfectly locking successful its spot arsenic an instauration successful this state and possibly beyond.

"Our ngo is clear: Grow the crippled of Canadian football, heighten the acquisition for our fans and guarantee the sustainability and occurrence of our league for generations to come. We'll execute this by focusing connected 3 cardinal components: Innovation, assemblage and entertainment."