Canadian Soccer Faces TV Access Challenges Ahead of World Cup

TORONTO, Canada — As the one-year countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, the debate over wider TV access for Canadian soccer continues. OneSoccer, a subscription streaming service that broadcasts national team games and domestic leagues, is locked in a conflict with Rogers Communications Canada Inc., which refuses to carry the service.

In March 2023, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) sided with OneSoccer, stating that Rogers was giving itself and comparable services an undue preference by not offering OneSoccer. The CRTC requested both companies to propose remedies to resolve the issue by April 11, 2023. Nearly two years have passed without a resolution.

“Delays like these are devastating for new independent programming services, such as ours,” OneSoccer said in a February submission. “We are investing millions in our channel, but revenue remains minimal.” Currently, OneSoccer is accessible only through streaming and partners like Fubo and Telus.

Scott Mitchell, owner of OneSoccer’s parent company, Timeless Inc., expressed frustration over the prolonged delay. “Rogers has been doing everything to drag this out even though the ruling was clear. We have a home World Cup ahead, and the Canadian soccer audience is growing. This needs to be resolved quickly,” he said.

Rogers declined to comment on the matter beyond stating that it provides a wide range of sports programming options and that viewers can subscribe to OneSoccer separately.

As a result, this weekend’s highly anticipated CONCACAF Champions Cup final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Cruz Azul will only be viewable by OneSoccer and Fubo subscribers in Canada. “It’s disappointing that many Canadians will miss the match,” Mitchell noted, despite OneSoccer seeing a 40 percent increase in subscriptions this year.

Rogers claims there are valid commercial reasons for not distributing OneSoccer, citing limited appeal. “Other major providers also do not carry OneSoccer,” the company stated. Rogers has previously aired select OneSoccer content but pointed out that Timeless is partially controlled by a foreign entity, raising concerns over Canadian ownership in the broadcasting landscape.

While some broadcasts, like the Canadian Shield Tournament games, are available on TSN and OneSoccer, such partnerships are uncommon. “None of the media companies in Canada have offered any monetary investment to carry any of our matches,” Mitchell said. He highlighted that OneSoccer has produced many games itself without a rights fee.

Laura Mellanby, a consultant for OneSoccer, believes the challenge lies in production costs. “Producing a live sports channel like OneSoccer requires significant investment,” she said. If Rogers were to carry OneSoccer, it would negotiate monthly fees based on its subscriber base, potentially marking up costs.

Despite productive discussions with Bell, Mellanby noted that the broadcasting industry awaits the outcome of the CRTC case. “Nobody wants to spend money. It’s a business, not charity.” Canada Soccer is monitoring the situation closely but refrained from commenting due to the ongoing CRTC proceedings.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2025.