TORONTO — Stewart Johnston plans to ease into his new role as CFL commissioner.
Johnston officially took office Thursday following 28 years at TSN. He'd served as the sports broadcaster's president since 2010.
"My job will be to listen," Johnston said during his introductory news conference at a Toronto hotel. "I want to hear what are the three things people think we as a league are doing wonderfully and what are the two things they think we need to improve on.
"I think it's important to ask the first question because often it's easy to go to the second. I want to hear about what everyone is excited about, I want to hear across the country what is working, what are the best practices? And from there as we execute against '25 we'll start developing our tactics and strategies for '26."
Johnston succeeds Randy Ambrosie, who had served as commissioner since July 5, 2017. The 62-year-old Winnipeg native's seven-plus-year tenure is the second-longest ever behind the late Jake Gaudaur (1968-84).
Johnston said he'd been approached about the commissioner's job previously but never felt the timing was right, until now.
"They (discussions) were brief and informal and weren't at the right time for me to continue," he said. "I'm to excited about the momentum of the league.
"The league is in a strong place."
Johnston is eager to work with the CFL Players' Association, adding he'd already met David Mackie, the union's new executive director.
"The players are the stars of our league," Johnston said. "They produce the drama and playmaking on the field.
"I talk about entertainment and it starts there."
Unlike many of his predecessors, Johnston has the luxury of time to get acclimated with the job. Currently, all nine franchises appear to be on solid footing and the 2025 and '26 Grey Cup games will be held in Winnipeg and Calgary, respectively.
But the issues of attendance and an aging fanbase both still persist.
The CFL averaged 22,764 spectators per game last year, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (31,196) again leading the way ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (27,684) and B.C. Lions (26,883). But Hamilton, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Ottawa and Toronto were all below the league average although the Lions, Argos and Alouettes -- the league's three largest markets -- drew more fans in 2024 than '23.
Still, the Grey Cup-champion Argos averaged 15,129 spectators, lowest in the CFL. And a significant portion of the league's fanbase is 55 and older, underlying the urgency to find ways to appeal to and entertain a younger audience.
"We must address the aging fanbase by developing strategies to appeal to a younger generation," Johnston said. "Introducing young people to the sport is essential for the future of the CFL and flag football plays a crucial role in this effort.
"By engaging the young people and engaging them (into) football we can foster a love for the sport at an early age ensuring a steady pipeline of talent and passionate fans for the future."
Something Johnston won't actively pursue is a 10th franchise. Ambrosie was bullish about adding an expansion team in the Maritimes to create both a coast-to-coast CFL and balanced schedule.
"Would I like a 10th team? Absolutely," Johnston said. "It will not be a primary focus for me as I take on this role.
"I want to get this league with the nine clubs that we have in the best shape it can be. However if a great ownership group approaches us, we'll certainly listen."
Johnston will lead the CFL into its next broadcast agreement. The current deal with TSN, reportedly worth $50 million annually, runs through 2026.
So after negotiating on TSN's behalf for years, Johnston will now be doing so for the CFL.
"When I think about the next media deal, I think about optimization," Johnston said. "The three components I would consider in optimizing the next media deal include maximizing revenue, maximizing viewership and elevating our exposure to grow audiences.
"We (Johnston, TSN officials) know each other very well so I think we can be very efficient in our discussion."
A sometimes tricky element of the commissioner's job is trying to achieve unanimity within a board that consists of nine separate entities and strong personalities. But Johnston feels he's already started that process.
"I explained my vision and looked into nine governors' eyes and said, 'Do you buy into that,' and nine said, 'Yes,' so it starts there," Johnston said. "We've already begun that process of finding a unified vision towards what will take our league forward not as nine competitors on the field but as a league together.
"I'm going to reinforce that thought process with our owners."
And Johnston has a definite vision regarding the state of the CFL five years from now.
"Nine healthy franchises with sustainable business models," he said. "Growth in attendance, growth in commercial assets, a great new media deal and the CFL absolutely locking in its place as an institution in this country and maybe beyond.
"Our mission is clear: Grow the game of Canadian football, enhance the experience for our fans and ensure the sustainability and success of our league for generations to come. We'll achieve this by focusing on three key components: Innovation, community and entertainment."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
