CANADA: WHICH SPORTS ARE MOST POPULAR IN EACH CITY?

It’s officially the summer of sport, and Team Canada is vying for a number of medals at the Paris Olympic Games 2024.

But with dozens of sports included in the Olympics, and a number of new ones added this year, including skateboarding, surfing, and breaking, which are the favorites of Canadians? And what sports are seeing an uptick in interest across Canada and its cities?

To explore this, Jackpot City crunched the numbers and looked at Google searches in some of the largest cities and in Canada as a whole, before the online casino compared the increase in searches for each individual sport that’s taking place this summer.

The most popular Olympic sport in Canada

Overall, in Canada, golf is the most searched-for sport, with almost a quarter of a million (246,000) searches per month for people looking for stories, tips and golfing events.

The sport’s popularity has surged due to the country’s rich golfing history,  plethora of world-class courses, including in Prince Edward Island and in Nova Scotia, and a growing number of Canadian golfers excelling on the international stage.
Athletes like Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners look to have inspired a new generation of enthusiasts, and the sport’s unique blend of strategy, skill and a serene outdoor setting can appeal to a wide demographic, from amateurs who play casually, to serious competitors.

But when we dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that there are some other sports that Canadians are rallying behind, as athletes hope to secure gold on the global stage.

Canoe Slalom, which involves navigating a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging gates on river rapids, has seen a yearly rise of 182% in people searching for the sport.
The Modern Pentathlon, which combines fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross-country running, and Rugby Sevens, which is a faster-paced, shorter version of traditional rugby, have both seen a growth rate of 175%.

The most popular Olympic sports in Canada in 2024

1 - Golf (246,000 searches per month)

2 - Tennis (201,000 searches per month)

=2 - Sailing (201,000 searches per month)

4 - Hockey (110,000 searches per month)

=4 - Basketball (110,000 searches per month)

6 - Boxing (74,000 searches per month)

=6 - Soccer (74,000 searches per month)

8 - Volleyball (60,500 searches per month)

9 - Taekwondo (40,500 searches per month)

=9 - Badminton (40,500 searches per month)

The sports seeing the biggest rise in interest in Canada in 2024

1 - Canoe slalom (182% increase year-on-year)

2 - Modern pentathlon (175% increase year-on-year)

=2 - Rugby sevens (175% increase year-on-year)

4 - Hockey (172% increase year-on-year)

5 - Marathon swimming (133% increase year-on-year)

6 - Cycling (124% increase year-on-year)

7 - Soccer (82% increase year-on-year)

8 - Artistic swimming (69% increase year-on-year)

9 - Rhythmic gymnastics (52% increase year-on-year)

10 - Triathlon (50% increase year-on-year)

How does it look on a cities-divide?

But different cities and towns in Canada have different climates, regional preferences and strengths, and knowing how that looks can help to enhance athlete performance and foster local engagement and inform investment decisions.

What sports are most popular in Canada’s cities?

The most searched-for sport in each city in Canada in 2024

While golf has a monopoly over the states, there are also sports that are rising in the ranks.

Hockey has led the charge in many regions, as one of Canada’s favorite pastimes. Interest has risen by 325% in Banff, while Edmonton’s enthusiasm for the sport has increased by 406%, and an astounding 950% in Newfoundland.

Mississauga has witnessed a 175% rise in interest for soccer, while in Ottawa, artistic swimming interest has gone up by 600%, reflecting a diverse sporting interest across Canada, with different cities embracing both traditional and emerging sports.

Calgary, in Alberta, has become a hotspot for Rugby Sevens, with an extraordinary 600% increase, showcasing the sport’s growing appeal in the city.

The biggest rising sport in each city and town in Canada in 2024

Feeling inspired? Whether you’re heading out to try a new sport, or cheering the Olympics team on from home, keep the excitement going and check out the number of sports and online slots games at Jackpot City

Methodology

Jackpot City took Google Search Console Data from the last 12 months and refined it by location, looking at 18 towns and cities in Canada, and in Canada itself, to understand Olympic sport preferences.

Data correct as of July 2024.

July 09 2024
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