New Commissioner Stewart Johnston feels right at home in CFL and Rider Nation

Stewart Johnston’s professional lives, successful by every measure, intersected during his introductory visit to Mosaic Stadium as CFL Commissioner.

While he met the Saskatchewan media on Thursday afternoon, a few hours before the Roughriders defeated the Ottawa REDBLACKS 31-26 to open the 2025 season, a TSN crew was on the sideline and preparing for its telecast.

“Worlds are colliding,” Johnston, a high-ranking executive at TSN before he began his duties with the CFL on April 23rd, said with a laugh.

“I was out at dinner with a few folks from the league office and from the Riders and over at the next level is the entire TSN crew, so I went and said hi to them.

“I look at them and I know they are the best at what they do. I’m excited for them, because I know how much passion they have for this league and for covering this game, and I’m actually feeling pretty good that I’m not worried about what they’re doing setting up.”

Twenty-eight years at TSN has set him up nicely for a transition to the league office.

“I certainly feel like I’ve jumped into the pool with two feet in the deep end, but I don’t feel like I’m drowning,” Johnston said. “I feel like the background through 25 years of partnership with the CFL in my time has really put me in good stead. I hit the ground running.

“I don’t know how many analogies I can use. I’m in a pool and I’m running. But I feel confident in where we’re going. I know many of the stakeholders that are involved, from the league office to the board of governors to partners and team officials.

“I’m still learning a lot, but I feel good.”

TSN, which first televised a CFL game in 1987, has been the league’s exclusive broadcast rights-holder since 2008.

Johnston, a former President of TSN, also held a high-profile role at Bell Media as the Senior Vice-President, Content and Sales.

“I think I’ve been well-trained in my previous career on how to manage a lot of files at the same time,” he said. “I thrive on multi-tasking, but also on keeping my focus on one file at a time.

“I’ll work as hard as need be. I’ll work seven days a week. I know the league office is doing the same. I know the clubs are. The players are focused.

“I feel great about what we’re doing.”

And about making Saskatchewan his first stop during a whirlwind tour of the league.

“I don’t think I’ve been filled with his much excitement, and maybe a few butterflies as well,” Johnston said. “Certainly, in previous years, it has been about covering the game. Now it’s about really, truly about being a part of it.

“I couldn’t imagine a better place to do that than right here in Regina.”

His mandate, of course, has an infinitely greater wingspan.

“I want to make sure that we’re executing flawlessly in 2025,” Johnston said. “We’ve got a great plan coming in.

“We’re coming off really good momentum. We’ve got increasing audiences on television. We’ve seen increasing gate, increasing game-day revenue.

“These are metrics that are hard to come by and really impressive for the league, so let’s keep building on that momentum and look forward to a great season.”

Building the sport is also a priority.

“What I see in this province in particular is one of the best flag football programs in the world,” Johnston said. “I think flag football is a way to introduce young people, a way to introduce new Canadians, to the game.

“I truly believe that if they hold a ball, if they throw and catch and run with a ball and start to learn some of the rules and some of the strategies, they’re going to fall in love.

“It’s that good a game. We have the best game in the world. I think the starting point is introducing them. The explosion in flag football is a great starting point.

“At the same time, we at the league office and all of our member clubs need to be producing content and delivering it in a way that resonates with younger viewers and new viewers.

“Introducing folks to this game is going to be a priority for us as we move forward.”

At the same time, there isn’t a need to reinvent the wheel.

“We’ve got to pay attention to what’s working,” Johnston said. “I look around this stadium and the various areas of this stadium that really cater to different types of fans. That’s an experience that I think all our clubs are striving to achieve.

“There’s something to appeal to anybody here. It’s a fun experience, so we’ve got to support that with great schedules for our teams and great promotion and work with our broadcast partners to demonstrate the excitement of what they can see here.

“Let’s make them feel a little FOMO, because when they see what’s happening, with the energy on the screen and in the stadiums, I think they’re going to want to come.”

Along those lines, Johnston asserted that decisions made at the league level and by the nine teams should be focused on entertainment.

“We’re in a fight for attention,” he said, “and we’ve got to figure out how to drive attention to our game.

“Once people see it — once people taste it and experience it — they’re going to love it.”

A love of this country and all it offers will also be an emphasis for Johnston during his inaugural season as Commissioner.

“We are a sport that is played in Canada and made in Canada,” he said. “If you see our advertising, you’re going to see the red pop from a great, slick black-and-white advertising campaign.

“You’re going to hear me talk an awful lot about nine markets in Canada, the Canadians that are playing and starring in our league, and the employment we offer Canadians throughout this country.

“We’re seeing it resonate with our business partners. Business partners in this country are looking to associate themselves with strong Canadian institutions. We’ve had a lot of incoming calls because they recognize that’s what we are.”

There have been plenty of incoming calls, period, as Johnston embraces a new role.

“The onboarding has been significant,” he said. “I’ve been on a learning curve. I’ve been taking in a lot of information and been briefed on a number of files. I’ve been working with the team on the various modes of operation that we have at the league office and the things we have to take care of to be ready for kickoff.

“Each week, I’ve felt the anticipation toward the season kickoff, and I’m thrilled that we’re here.”