Read time: 4 mins
Canadians watching the Winter Olympics are highly engaged as the Games head into their final days, with most already tuning in or planning to watch before February 22. Interest increases with age, and while ice hockey dominates as the country’s favourite event, viewing habits reveal notable generational differences in how Canadians are following the action.
Key Takeaways
- Ice hockey is Canada’s clear favourite Winter Olympic sport, especially among men, while figure skating ranks second and resonates strongly with women.
- Traditional cable and satellite TV remain the dominant viewing platforms, though younger Canadians increasingly rely on streaming and social media.
- Most viewers prefer a mix of live coverage and highlights, balancing convenience with real-time excitement.
As the Winter Olympics head into its final days, Canadians are enthusiastically tuning in. Most say they are already watching the games, or plan to do so before things wrap up on February 22nd. Interest grows with age, with six in ten older adults already watching, and just four in ten Millennials tuning in so far.
Among the sixteen winter Olympic sports, ice hockey stands out as Canada’s clear favourite. Half of viewers say it’s the most exciting event to watch, driven largely by men (63%), though still attracting nearly a third of women (30%). Figure skating takes a strong second place, especially among women. And while one in ten fans can’t choose a favourite and are excited about all sports, all remaining sports capture a smaller but passionate slice of attention.
When it comes to how Canadians are watching, traditional cable and satellite TV dominate (61%), far outpacing streaming services (37%), long form social media like Facebook Watch or YouTube (20%) or short form social media including TikTok and Instagram reels (15%). Viewing habits shift noticeably by age: younger Canadians lean heavily on social media, while older Canadians are primarily viewing via cable or satellite TV.
Most viewers (65%) are watching a mix of highlights and live coverage, balancing convenience with real-time excitement. Another 15% stick exclusively to live action, while 20% focus solely on highlights.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between February 12 – 16, 2026 with 1,230 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2021 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution.
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FAQs
Ice hockey stands out as the clear favourite, with half of viewers naming it the most exciting sport to watch.
Most are watching through traditional cable or satellite TV, though younger Canadians are more likely to use streaming platforms and social media.
Interest grows with age, with older adults more likely to already be watching compared to Millennials.
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca or Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com.
Narrative Research is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies.
