Report shows 75% of Canadians are fans of women's sport – but finding games a challenge

When Zoe Boyd was a little girl growing up in Caledon, Ont., Hockey Night in Canada was appointment viewing for her family every Saturday night.

This season, the star of the new Professional Women's Hockey League team in Hamilton will be regularly featured on the CBC showcase.

"I couldn't ever have dreamt it. It just wasn't a possibility in our minds," Boyd said. "But I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada, Coach's Corner. That was my parents' favourite part of the games, watching Coach's Corner on Hockey Night in Canada.

"It really feels full circle and I'm super excited to see what that looks like and that we get that opportunity."

Boyd's comments come after a new report commissioned by Canadian Women and Sport says that supply is not meeting demand for women's sports in Canada.

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The study released on Tuesday found that 75 per cent of Canadians now call themselves fans of women's sport, up from 67 per cent two years ago.

Despite that growth in interest, 62 per cent of fans surveyed say they don't know where to find the games of professional women's leagues or the content they're looking for online.

Boyd said that, anecdotally, she's seen the growing popularity of the PWHL. She started her career with the Ottawa Charge before signing a one-year contract with the Boston Fleet in June 2025. Boston left her unprotected, allowing PWHL Hamilton to select her in the league's 2026 expansion draft.

"It's been pretty spectacular to see how far we've come here in just the fourth season," said Boyd. "Already having six additional expansion teams, I think that proof