The Saskatchewan Roughriders have one of the strongest brands among Canadian professional sports teams, according to a new opinion survey.
The Riders ranked third behind the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in an online survey of almost 2,700 sports fans conducted by Saskatoon-based research firm Insightrix. The Toronto Blue Jays placed fourth.
Sports fans from nine metro areas that are home to professional sports franchises -- Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg -- were questioned about their perception of NHL, CFL and MLB as well as the National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer brands in Canada.
Respondents were asked about first brand that comes to mind, their level of respect for team brands as well as their perception of the most loyal fans, team popularity and stadium atmosphere, said Mario Caceres, senior research executive with Insightrix.
The Roughriders were viewed as the second-most respected team and second-most popular team behind only the Canadiens. The Maple Leafs and Montreal Alouettes wre ranked third and fourth respectively in terms of popularity.
The top-10 brands among Canadian fans across all sports include three NHL teams, four CFL teams and one team each from the NBA, MLB and MLS.
Most Respected
1) Montreal Canadiens – 22.6%
2) Saskatchewan Roughriders – 12.2%
3) Toronto Blue Jays – 9.1%
4) Montreal Alouettes – 7.5%
Perception of Popularity
1) Montreal Canadiens – 20.8%
2) Saskatchewan Roughriders – 16.5%
3) Toronto Maple Leafs – 15.0%
4) Montreal Alouettes – 7.2%
Perception Most Loyal Fans
1) Montreal Canadiens – 22.5%
2) Saskatchewan Roughriders – 22.1%
3) Toronto Maple Leafs – 19.9%
4) Toronto Raptors – 6.7%
Perception of Best Stadium/Arena Atmosphere
1) Montreal Canadiens – 24.4%
2) Saskatchewan Roughriders – 16.2%
3) Toronto Maple Leafs – 10.5%
4) Toronto Raptors (Tie) – 6.9%
4) Montreal Alouettes (Tie) – 6.9%
First Brand that Comes to Mind
1) Toronto Blue Jays – 19.2%
2) Montreal Canadiens – 18.5%
3) Toronto Maple Leafs – 14.8%
4) Toronto Raptors – 12.3%
Canadian Pro Sports Brand Ranking
1) Montreal Canadiens
2) Toronto Maple Leafs
3) Saskatchewan Roughriders
4) Toronto Blue Jays
Source: Insightrix Research Inc.
