Stewart Johnston facts for kids

Stewart Christopher Johnston was born on February 26, 1971. He is a Canadian business leader. Stewart Johnston is currently the 15th Commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Before this important role, he was the president of The Sports Network (TSN). He also held a senior position at Bell Media, which is a big media company.

Stewart Johnston's Early Life

Stewart Johnston was born in Toronto, Ontario. This was on February 26, 1971. When he was one year old, his family moved to Ottawa. Growing up in Ottawa, he lived near Gerry Organ. Gerry Organ was a famous kicker for the Ottawa Rough Riders football team.

School and Sports

Johnston went to Ashbury College for high school in Ottawa. He loved sports and played quarterback for his school's football teams. He also played hockey. After high school, he studied at Queen's University in Kingston. He earned an Honours Business Degree from Queen's.

Stewart Johnston's Career Journey

Before finishing university, Johnston worked at Gatorade. This was a special work experience program. He worked in their sports marketing department. This job even led him to help out at the 82nd Grey Cup. The Grey Cup is the championship game of the CFL.

Working at TSN

In 1997, Johnston started as an intern at TSN. TSN is a major sports TV channel in Canada. He worked hard and moved up in the company. By 2006, he became the Vice President of Programming. In 2010, he was promoted to President of TSN.

In 2014, TSN added more channels: TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5. Johnston said this was a big step for the network. It allowed TSN to show more sports games at the same time. This meant more sports for fans to watch. When he left Bell Media in 2025, he was a Senior Vice President.

Leadership in Sports

In 2019, Stewart Johnston was recognized for his influence in sports. The Hockey News ranked him among the "Top 100 People of Power and Influence." In November of that year, he became the Vice-Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame. This is a very important role in the world of hockey.

Becoming CFL Commissioner

On April 1, 2025, news came out that Johnston was a top choice. He was considered to replace Randy Ambrosie as the CFL Commissioner. Randy Ambrosie was retiring from the role. The very next day, on April 2, 2025, it was officially announced. Stewart Johnston would be the new Commissioner. He officially started his new job on April 24, 2025.