An Exclusive Interview with Stewart Johnston, CFL Commissioner
In 1970s Ottawa, football wasn’t background noise — it was the heartbeat of the city. The Ottawa Rough Riders were the main event, autumn royalty in a capital that measured its seasons in first downs and Grey Cup dreams. For a young Stewart Johnston, the game wasn’t just something he watched — it lived down the street. A few houses away was Jerry Organ, the Rough Riders’ kicker and punter, whose son Jamie often joined Johnston for backyard games that quietly shaped his early connection to Canadian football.
Then came 1976 Grey Cup delivering one of the most enduring images in league history — Tony Gabriel’s iconic catch. But Johnston remembers another moment just as vividly: Organ faking a punt and racing for a crucial first down.
“I remember jumping up and down on the couch,” Johnston says. It wasn’t just a play — it was possibility, audacity on a national stage, and a league that felt like it belonged to the country watching it.
“That was my first taste of just how amazing this game is.” — Stewart Johnston, CFL Commissioner
Today, as commissioner of the Canadian Football League, Johnston still carries that memory with him. His leadership isn’t rooted solely in balance sheets or broadcast metrics. It’s grounded in the understanding that somewhere in Canada right now, another five-year-old is bouncing on a couch, discovering the magic of the game for the first time.
In a recent interview with Canadian Business Journal, Johnston spoke about the league’s growth, its uniquely Canadian identity, and the strategy guiding the CFL into its next era.
From Sports Fan to Sports Executive
Long before he occupied the commissioner’s office, Johnston was a lifelong sports fan who found a way to turn passion into profession. When TSN launched in 1984, it felt revolutionary — 24 hours of sports every day of the week. For a young business graduate who already loved the games themselves, it was the perfect collision of commerce and competition.“I couldn’t imagine anything better,” Johnston recalls.
An early stint with Gatorade exposed him to the world of sports marketing and how brands connect themselves to athletic excellence. From there, Johnston built a 27-year career with Bell Media, working across negotiations and partnerships with global sports powerhouses — including the NFL, NBA, and NHL — along with marquee events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
“When you combine sport and business the right way, you create something powerful.” — Johnston’
Those experiences offered a masterclass in the modern sports industry. Johnston saw how elite leagues think, how they negotiate, and how they survive in increasingly crowded markets. Most importantly, he learned how they compete for attention in a world where attention is the most precious currency of all.
That perspective now shapes his worldview: the CFL isn’t just competing with other football leagues — it’s competing with Netflix, TikTok, gaming consoles, and every glowing screen in the country.
Entering the Role: Listening First
When Johnston stepped into the commissioner’s chair, he didn’t arrive with proclamations — he arrived with questions. Within weeks, he launched a 100-day listening tour, visiting all nine CFL markets and meeting with front-office staff, coaches, players, governors, and fans.
“This league means something deeply personal to people.” — Johnston’
“The passion level of our fans is incredible,” he says. “They’ve been to decades worth of Grey Cups. They’ve held season tickets for generations.”
Johnston also confronted the operational realities of running a national sports league — everything from officiating oversight and scheduling logistics to adapting when unexpected events disrupt game plans. It’s a role that demands both macro vision and micro precision, and Johnston embraced the learning curve.
Defining Success in the Next Five Years
Ask Johnston what success looks like for the CFL, and he doesn’t hesitate: growth — measurable, sustainable, and cultural. The league has posted multiple consecutive years of linear television ratings growth, a notable achievement in a fractured media landscape. Attendance and game-day revenues are climbing as well, giving Johnston confidence that the league’s momentum is real.
His blueprint for the coming years centers on several priorities: financial stability across all nine clubs, expanded national reach, stronger fan engagement, significant digital transformation, increased grassroots participation, and potentially a tenth franchise.
Expansion, however, would require the right ownership group, stadium infrastructure, and a market capable of sustaining a professional club.
“We are in growth mode — and that’s incredibly exciting for a league over 110 years old.” — Johnston’
Digital Transformation as a Cornerstone
In today’s sports economy, digital isn’t an accessory — it’s infrastructure. The CFL is undertaking the largest digital investment in its history, revamping its central web platform, launching a new league app, and introducing a full-season fantasy football game designed to deepen fan engagement.
Fantasy football, Johnston notes, isn’t simply a side product — it’s engagement glue that keeps fans connected week after week. At the same time, the league’s content strategy is evolving to meet younger audiences where they are. What works on YouTube doesn’t necessarily resonate on TikTok, and younger fans don’t consume sports the same way previous generations did.
Balancing Tradition and Innovation
Modernization, Johnston insists, does not mean erasing what makes the CFL unique. The league’s defining elements remain intact: three downs, twelve players, the waggle, a wider field, and larger end zones.
Recent rule adjustments — including moving the goalposts to the back of the end zone — aim to improve player safety and visual clarity without compromising the identity of the game.
Media Rights: Revenue, Reach, and Relevance
With the current broadcast agreement approaching expiration, Johnston faces one of the defining negotiations of his tenure. Having spent decades on the other side of the table as a media executive, he approaches the process with both urgency and clarity.
Three priorities anchor his strategy: maximize revenue, maximize reach, and maximize relevance.
“Modernize the delivery, Protect the DNA.” — Johnston’“
We believe we have the best game in the world,” he says. “Now it’s about delivering it to as many people as possible.”
Growing the Game
Beyond professional operations, Johnston sees the CFL as a custodian of football’s future in Canada. Flag football — a rapidly growing version of the sport and set to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games — is emerging as an important gateway for new players and fans.
Partnerships with schools, provincial organizations, and Indigenous communities aim to broaden participation across the country.
“If you expose people to football the right way,” Johnston says, “they’ll become fans. It’s that great a game.”
Canadian Identity at the Core
In an era of globalization, the CFL’s fully Canadian identity is both rare and powerful. Few major professional leagues in North America can claim the same level of national connection, and Johnston believes celebrating Canadian talent strengthens that bond.
Players who wear the Maple Leaf do so not just on special occasions, but every week of the season.
Looking Ahead
Coming off a strong 2025 campaign, Johnston describes the league as energized. With only nine regular-season home games per club, each matchup carries event-level significance — scarce, meaningful, and deeply communal.
When asked how he hopes history will judge his tenure, Johnston keeps the answer simple.
“You want to leave the game in a better place than you found it.” — Johnston’
Better participation. Stronger finances. Broader fandom. Greater digital sophistication. Maybe even a tenth team.
Because somewhere, in a living room in Canada, a child is about to leap off a couch in celebration — and if Stewart Johnston has his way, the league will be ready for that moment for generations to come.
