The National Football League (NFL) is gaining traction in Canada, attracting considerable viewership and interest, especially around major events like the Super Bowl. To capitalize on this growing popularity, Visit California has announced a partnership with the NFL in Canada, hoping to create more engagement with Canadian fans. The partnership commences with Canada's Official Super Bowl LX Party on February 8, 2026, in downtown Toronto.
The Super Bowl party at REBEL in Toronto promises a full-fledged game-day experience, complete with jumbo screens, stadium-level sound, fan activations, and local food. Attendees can participate in an interactive field-goal simulator and a contest to win a sports-themed trip to California. Gavin Kemp, General Manager for the NFL in Canada, emphasized the importance of the Canadian market with over 15.6 million fans, stating the partnership with Visit California creates new engagement opportunities.
The collaboration is strategically timed, with the next two Super Bowls set to take place in California, first in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2026 and then in Los Angeles in 2027. This allows Visit California to highlight the state's major sports calendar, including the NBA All-Star Game, the FIFA World Cup, the U. S. Open Golf at Pebble Beach, and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This partnership runs through 2027 and extends NFL sponsorship rights to Visit California in Mexico, Australia, and the UK.
While the NFL's popularity grows in Canada, it coexists with the Canadian Football League (CFL), which holds a special place in the country's sports culture. Although ice hockey remains Canada's favorite sport, the NFL has found a strong following, with an estimated 7 million fans. Recent data indicates that approximately 8.4 million Canadians follow the Super Bowl, with a large percentage of viewers tuning in specifically for the event rather than being regular-season NFL watchers.