Winning on the field translated into growth across nearly every area of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ business in 2025.
Fresh off a Grey Cup championship season, the Roughriders released their annual financial report Tuesday and highlighted a year that delivered record merchandise sales, increased ticket and sponsorship revenue, growth in season-ticket memberships and continued expansion of the organization’s long-term financial reserves.
While exceptional costs tied to winning the Grey Cup and navigating a postponed home game impacted the final accounting result, club leadership emphasized the bigger picture: a championship season strengthened the organization both competitively and financially.
For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, the Roughriders generated $44.7 million in total revenue, up from $40.8 million the previous year, while posting EBIDA of $2.3 million and growing the club’s stabilization fund to more than $11.3 million.
“First and foremost, the goal of the organization is to win championships and entertain our fans,” Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds said following Monday’s annual general meeting.
“When you have a successful year like we did on the field, you’re going to see revenue growth.”
The numbers reflected that success. Ticket revenues climbed despite refunds tied to a postponed July game, sponsorship revenue reached $9.6 million, and merchandise sales surged to $9.1 million, the highest total in the last decade and one of the strongest retail performances in franchise history.
The championship run also created momentum heading into 2026. Reynolds revealed the organization added more than 1,000 season-ticket members, driven by strong new sales and improved retention rates.
The club also hosted the Western Final, generating an additional $1.8 million through ticketing, sponsorship, concessions and parking revenues.
Expenses increased during the year, largely due to investments related to attending and winning the Grey Cup, increased football operations spending, and the unique circumstances surrounding the wildfire-smoke-postponed game.
But leadership repeatedly pointed to the measures they view as most important: operating strength and long-term stability.
The Roughriders increased their stabilization fund by more than $800,000 to reach $11.3 million and finished the year with net assets of $51.2 million.
“When I look at those two things, EBIDA and the stabilization fund, we saw good growth in both,” Reynolds said.
For a franchise that only a few years ago was navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic, Tuesday’s report painted a picture of an organization using championship success to build momentum for the future.
The title banner is already hanging. Now the business numbers suggest Rider Nation helped make 2025 one of the strongest growth years the organization has experienced in recent memory.
