Ontario leads Canadian provinces in passion for cricket online

A recent analysis of Google search data highlights substantial regional variations in cricket interest across Canada, with Ontario recording the highest engagement per resident.

Search patterns

The study, conducted by Tooniebet, evaluated monthly Google search volumes for a set of cricket-related terms, including major international leagues and tournaments such as the "IPL," "T20 World Cup," "Pakistan Super League," "Big Bash League," and "Under-19 Cricket World Cup." This data was then normalised based on each province and territory's population, providing a metric of searches per 100,000 residents to compare cricket interest intensity across the country's 13 provinces and territories.

Ontario emerged as the province with the most pronounced interest in cricket, recording 606 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. This figure represents a 103.4% increase on the Canadian average of 298 searches per 100,000 residents. Ontario's total monthly search count for cricket terms stood at around 969,100, with "T20 World Cup," "Champions Trophy," "Pakistan Super League," and "Asia Cup T20" leading as the most searched keywords. Ontario's population was referenced at approximately 15,996,989.

British Columbia followed, ranking second, with 433 monthly searches per 100,000 residents - 45.3% above the national average. The province's population of 5,646,467 generated 244,400 monthly cricket-related searches. Search patterns in British Columbia notably included terms such as "Big Bash League," "T20 World Cup," "Champions Trophy," and "The Hundred."

Yukon occupied the third position in the ranking, with 415 monthly searches per 100,000 residents - 39.3% higher than the Canadian average. The territory, which has a population of 45,750, registered an average of 190 searches on topics including the "Champions Trophy," "T20 World Cup," "Under-19 Cricket World Cup," and "The Hundred."

Official commentary

"This data clearly illustrates how interest in cricket is surging across Canada, with provinces like Ontario, British Columbia, and Yukon showing peak engagement per resident.

From following major leagues like the IPL to keeping up with global tournaments such as the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, Canadians continue to display remarkable enthusiasm for the sport. This research serves as a clear signal to leagues, broadcasters, and sponsors that cricket's fanbase is active and engaged across diverse regions."

Broader national context

Beyond the top three, the Northwest Territories ranked fourth in the study, recording 401 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, which is 34.6% higher than the Canadian average. With a population of 44,920, the region tallied 180 monthly searches on cricket topics such as "T20 World Cup," "Champions Trophy," "Under-19 Cricket World Cup," and "The Hundred."

Alberta completed the top five, with 373 searches per 100,000 residents, a rate 25.2% higher than the national average. Alberta's population of 4,849,906 collectively made approximately 181,100 cricket-related searches per month, with common search terms being "Champions Trophy," "T20 World Cup," "Pakistan Super League," and "Asia Cup T20."

Other notable placements included Manitoba in sixth (317 searches per 100,000), Nova Scotia in seventh (292), Prince Edward Island in eighth (260), Saskatchewan in ninth (250), and Nunavut in tenth (172). These figures indicate substantial pockets of cricket engagement outside of the most populous provinces.

Lower engagement in Quebec

In contrast, Quebec reported the lowest cricket-related search volume among all provinces and territories, at just 63 searches per 100,000 residents. This marks a significant difference from regions like Ontario and demonstrates a wide variation in regional cricket interest. The study did not specify dominant search terms for Quebec.

Methodology

Tooniebet gathered the search data using Google Keyword Planner and calculated a normalised search intensity by cross-referencing the search volumes with 2025 population estimates for each province and territory. This allowed for a comparison of cricket following that takes into account regional population differences, rather than raw search totals alone.

From the data, the most searched leagues and tournaments in Canada include the IPL, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, and various regional leagues, highlighting that Canadian interest in cricket extends beyond domestic competitions to major international events.