In this edition, we catch up on the Northern Super League Finals, including key numbers and highlights from the inaugural season and championship match. We also check in on the PWHL’s upcoming 2025-26 season and the next Canadian cities on their Takeover Tour schedule, and lastly, we look at Gatorade Canada’s newest research initiative aimed at addressing the women’s sport research gap.

NSL WRAPS INAUGURAL SEASON WITH bold NUMBERS

The NSL closed out its first season with numbers that confirm what fans already knew: Canada was more than ready for a professional women’s soccer league. NSL founder and Chief Growth Officer, Diana Matheson shared some of the key figures from this historic launch year, including an average player salary of $75,000, 65 different goal scorers, and more than 3 million Canadians reached on linear television. League-wide revenue topped $30 million and the NSL is one of the Top 5 women’s leagues globally for average attendance. 

The momentum carried straight into the championship match, where 12,429 fans filled BMO Field in Toronto, ON for the first-ever NSL Final. National broadcasts across TSN, RDS, CBC, and Radio-Canada pulled in a reach of 1.1 million viewers, averaging 185,000 viewers. On social media, the league generated 4.58 million impressions and more than 2.56 million video views.

Government support is rising alongside the league’s success. The Government of Canada announced up to $5.45 million to help drive long-term growth, including potential facility upgrades and support for community infrastructure tied to future expansion. The Ontario government also invested $180,000 to help deliver the NSL Final, recognizing its impact on tourism and its role in advancing gender equity in sport in the province.

pwhl preps for 2025-26 season with new takeover tour stops

The PWHL is gearing up for its highly-anticipated third season, leaning into nationwide momentum with an expanded PWHL Takeover Tour in partnership with DoorDash. This year’s tour will bring pro women’s hockey to the following Canadian cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Quebec City, and Winnipeg. 

Last season’s tour drew 123,601 fans and set multiple attendance records, and early signs show even bigger numbers ahead. Halifax’s two-game stop is already nearing a sellout, while Vancouver’s new franchise, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, is on track to fill its 15,000-seat arena for its debut, which would mark the largest home-venue crowd in league history.

The tour also brings several firsts, including games in Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Halifax, alongside highly anticipated returns to Edmonton and Quebec City.

GATORADE CANADA LAUNCHES NEW INITIATIVE TO address THE WOMEN’S SPORTS RESEARCH GAP

Gatorade Canada announced a new research initiative alongside the PWHL designed specifically to tackle one of the most overlooked issues in sport: the lack of women-centred sports science. While women’s sports continue to escalate in popularity and investment, the research that informs training, recovery, hydration, and performance has historically relied on male-based data, leaving athletes underserved.

This initiative aims to change that. By investing directly in women-focused research, Gatorade Canada is looking to fill critical knowledge gaps and provide athletes, coaches, and medical teams with data that actually reflects women’s physiology. The program is expected to generate new insights into hydration science, performance metrics, and recovery strategies, all tailored for female athletes across age levels and sport types.

It’s a meaningful step forward at a time when girls and women in sport deserve better systems, better support, and better understanding.