112TH GREY CUP AND 2025 GREY CUP FESTIVAL GENERATED MORE THAN $93 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ACROSS CANADA
49,000 unique attendees, including 28,000 out-of-town visitors, accounted for a total attendance of more than 345,000 across venues, parties and celebrations
WINNIPEG (June 16, 2026) – The 112th Grey Cup and 2025 Grey Cup Festival generated more than $93 million in economic activity across Canada, according to an independent economic impact assessment conducted by Sport Tourism Canada (STC).
The week-long celebration ran November 10–16, 2025 in Winnipeg, culminating in the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeating the Montreal Alouettes 25–17 at Princess Auto Stadium.
"The numbers confirm what we already knew — Winnipeg delivered one of the best Grey Cup Festivals in the history of this league," said Wade Miller, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club. "Over $93 million in economic activity, over 28,000 out of town visitors, and a fan experience rated 4.5 out of 5 — that's a Winnipeg result. The benefits reached hotels, restaurants, retailers, and tourism partners throughout the city. This city and province showed Canada what it means to host. Thank you to the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, Tourism Winnipeg, our corporate partners, committee members, volunteers, staff, and the CFL fans who made this a Grey Cup to remember."
"These results reinforce the lasting value that major events can create for a host community," said Jennifer Thompson, Executive Director of the 2025 Grey Cup Festival. "The Festival showcased Winnipeg and Manitoba to visitors from across Canada, strengthened partnerships throughout our community, and created experiences that people will remember for years to come. We're incredibly proud of what was accomplished together."
"We're thrilled by the 112th Grey Cup's lasting impact in Winnipeg and the surrounding communities. The Blue Bombers were incredible hosts, showcasing our world-class game and combining it with tremendous weeklong celebration of football. These findings are a testament to everyone who worked tirelessly to craft an unforgettable event and, of course, our unbelievable fans,” said CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston.
Nearly 49,000 unique attendees participated in Festival events throughout the week, generating a total attendance of more than 345,000 across venues, parties, and celebrations — drawn from more than 28,000 out-of-town visitors who made the trip from coast to coast. Ninety-five per cent of out-of-town attendees stayed overnight and visitors stayed for an average of 4.2 nights.
The economic impact assessment was prepared by Sport Tourism Canada using its STEAMPRO economic impact model, which makes use of Statistics Canada data; it is validated by the Canadian Tourism Research Institute at the Conference Board of Canada.
ADDITIONAL FIGURES
- 48,797 individuals were reported to attend an average of 3.2 days and 3.9 different events.
- Employed 362 jobs, of which 346 were local, accounting for $18.9 million in wages and salaries.
- 95 per cent of out-of-town attendees stayed overnight in the city with 51 per cent of those fans staying in hotels/motels.
NEED TO KNOW: 112th GREY CUP
- One of the biggest television events in Canada in 2025 with 10 million Canadians tuning in for at least part of the Grey Cup on CTV, TSN or RDS.
- Average audience of 4.02 million viewers – an increase of 12 per cent over last year.
- Canada’s most-watched concert, the Bud Light Grey Cup Halftime Show featuring mgk, averaged an audience of 4.09 million, with more than half of viewers under the age of 54.
- CFL and LCF social channels reached 36.3M+ impressions.
- Fans drove 1.7M engagements across league platforms.
- CFL.ca page views up nearly 70 per cent over last year
- The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ victory was witnessed by a sell-out crowd of 32,343.