The Canadian Football League is a special thing. It’s not as high-profile as the NFL, but it’s more deeply rooted in the local culture, including Pin Up betting. But first and foremost, it’s when your grandfather took you to the Grey Cup, and now you buy your own tickets to the game and discuss recruits with your neighbour in the car park. And now, in 2025, the CFL doesn’t just exist, but more importantly is changing. And not on paper, but in reality: in broadcasts, in the rules, in the composition of teams. We tell you about the current state of the league in our article.

Who is Stuart Johnston and How He’s Changing the CFL from Commissioner

Stuart Johnston became the league’s commissioner in the spring. The name may not be a high-profile one, but he’s a man from the television kitchen: he used to run TSN, the sports channel that has been broadcasting the CFL for years.  It’s not a random choice. Johnston, as you can see from his first interviews, doesn’t have a mission to change everything. He’s in favour of strengthening what’s already working and not throwing himself into crazy ideas like expanding to tenth teams.

What New Rules Have Been Introduced in 2025 and Why They Did It

If you don’t follow the CFL with a ruler and calculator, here’s the short of it: in May, they adopted six changes at once. The main one is more protection for receivers so they don’t get hit in the knees when they’re vulnerable. They also slightly edited the penalty structure and sped up the game by removing unnecessary pauses. As a result, the match became more invigorating, but not cramped. And this is the case when you as a spectator feel: yes, it is a little more comfortable to watch. Especially if you’re not watching alone, but with family or friends and trying to bet on Pin Up Canada.

How the CFL is Expanding Its Reach: Broadcasts in Canada and the U.S. in 2025

Here’s a fun fact: for the third year in a row, 34 CFL games were shown in the United States – not just anywhere, but on CBS Sports Network. And it’s not just ranked games, but also classics like Labour Day and Thanksgiving. And everything else is streamed through CFL+, the CFL’s own streaming platform, which became available for free this year.

Canada still has a reliable tandem: TSN, CTV and RDS (the latter for French-speaking audiences). So anyone with a TV or smartphone can easily connect. Even if you’re on the move, the broadcasts can be streamed from regular LTE.

How Much the Salary Ceiling Has Risen and How It Affects Players

The issue of salaries in professional sports is always a sensitive one. Especially in leagues that aren’t among the global elite in terms of revenue, like the Canadian Football League. But that’s where one of the most notable shifts in recent years – raising the salary ceiling to $6062365 per team in 2025 – comes in. That’s almost half a million more than in 2024.

The figure certainly looks impressive, but it’s important to understand where it came from and how it affects players, coaches and the league itself.

Why Did the Ceiling Go Up

The reason for the growth is the new revenue sharing model that was introduced back in 2024. Its essence is that players now receive a share of the total league revenue. This motivates both clubs and athletes to make a better product. The more people watch the CFL, bet on Pin Up, buy tickets, subscriptions and merch, the higher the payroll becomes next season.

It works like the NHL or NBA, but adapted to the scale of the Canadian league. The system was implemented carefully, and now it has started to bear real fruit.

What It Does for Players and Clubs

With the increase in ceiling, teams have an opportunity:

• Sign more experienced players without sacrificing youth;
• Retain promising Canadian football players who used to leave for the NCAA or try to make their way to the NFL;
• Avoiding a tight rotation due to budget – now you can build the roster a little more stable, rather than changing key players every offseason.

This is also a signal to the players: in the CFL you can not just play, but build a career. Yes, it’s not millions like in the NFL, but it’s a stable contract, media exposure in the country, support from the league and the union.

How the CFL-2025 Season Schedule Works: Key Dates and Matches

The regular season started on 5 June, with the finish on 25 October and the playoffs starting on 1 November. The season finale is the 112th Grey Cup and it’s hosted by Winnipeg. Yes, it will be cold, but it will be atmospheric. Plus there’s another interesting game this year, the Stampede Bowl. It’s played in Calgary in July, ahead of the Calgary Stampede Festival. It’s a great excuse to combine football with local culture.

What Transfers and Draft Picks Changed Teams’ Preseason Lineups

The off-season has been quite active. Here are a few examples:

• Sean McEwen, previously with the Calgary Stampeders, is now with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. One of the best centres in the league, so this is a major upgrade;
• Kemari Mounier-Bailey is a fresh pick in the Global Draft for Winnipeg. Young, promising, and judging by analytics, a very mobile defenceman.

These transitions aren’t just points on a spreadsheet. They are stories that are discussed in pubs, on Reddit, in school hallways and even in Pin Up casino Canada chat rooms. The CFL remains a league where the human element is more important than the media.

Why the CFL Remains a Relevant and Vibrant League in 2025

In 2025, the Canadian Football League looks as sustainable as Pin Up casino. They don’t play revolutions, run NFT cards or rewrite the rules for the sake of clicks here. What it does know how to do:

• Engage young audiences through streaming and localised events;
• Maintain a balance between spectacle and safety;
• And simply – to show quality sport, which is interesting to return to in a year, two or ten years.

If you haven’t been following the CFL, now is the time to get involved. And if you have been following, you’ve probably already bought your season ticket and are waiting for the November showdown in Winnipeg.