Leading Sports Entertainment Brands in CA: Q1 2025 Analysis

Introduction

In the competitive landscape of sports entertainment in Canada, brands such as ESPN, the National Hockey League (NHL), and theScore Inc. have achieved notable successes. This article examines their performance from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, with a focus on monthly deduplicated audiences across websites and apps. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data provides unparalleled insights into these brands' digital presence. Through our Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, we offer a detailed look at audience trends, app engagement, and advertising efforts.

ESPN

ESPN's digital footprint is remarkable, with its website, espn.com, and the ESPN: Live Sports & Scores app leading the charge.

• Audience Trends: From October 2024 to March 2025, espn.com maintained a strong presence, with visits peaking at over 31.9M in March. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable above 1.7M throughout the quarter.

• App Engagement: The app maintained a steady monthly active user base, with active users hovering around 140K.

• Ad Spend & Channels: ESPN's monthly advertising spend varied, peaking at over $9K in March, primarily focusing on Instagram, which consistently delivered high impressions.

National Hockey League (NHL)

The NHL's digital offerings include nhl.com, nhlshop.ca, and the NHL app.

• Audience Trends: nhl.com experienced a significant spike in visits in November 2024, reaching 29.4M. The monthly deduplicated audience was robust, maintaining over 1.3M in Q1 2025.

• App Engagement: The NHL app experienced stable engagement, with monthly active users around 220K by March.

• Ad Spend & Channels: The NHL invested heavily in advertising, with a peak monthly spend of over $822K in January, focusing on Facebook and Instagram for maximum reach.

theScore Inc.

theScore Inc. maintains a strong digital presence with its website, thescore.com, and the theScore: Sports News & Scores app.

• Audience Trends: The website visits peaked in January 2025 at over 1.25M. The monthly deduplicated audience remained consistent above 570K.

• App Engagement: TheScore app maintained a strong monthly active user base, with users consistently around 350K.

• Ad Spend & Channels: TheScore's monthly ad spend saw a significant drop in February and March, with Instagram being the primary channel for impressions.

Conclusion

The first quarter of 2025 demonstrated the dynamic nature of the sports entertainment sector in Canada. ESPN, NHL, and theScore Inc. each showcased unique strengths across web and app platforms. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, provides critical insights into these trends, highlighting the importance of cross-platform strategies in engaging audiences. Sensor Tower's consolidated data offers unique advantages for decision-makers, empowering them to make informed strategic decisions in a rapidly evolving market.

For more information on how these insights can benefit your business, visit our Sensor Tower products page.