With the FIFA men’s World Cup just a month away, and all three of its North American host countries vying for every opportunity to capture the elevated interest around the tournament, Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) just scored a victory.
The Toronto-based organization—which owns the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and has a commercial partnership with Canada Soccer—bundles and licenses a wide collection of media rights to the OneSoccer streaming platform, including the country’s domestic leagues, CONCACAF, Bundesliga, UEFA Women’s Champions League and the NWSL.
Four years ago, OneSoccer owner Timeless Inc. filed a claim with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) against Rogers Communications.
Timeless alleged that the media conglomerate’s refusal to carry OneSoccer on its cable and satellite systems amounted to “undue preference” in favor of other channels, like the Rogers-owned Sportsnet and independent providers BeIN Sports and EuroWorld Sport. The CRTC ruled in favor of OneSoccer in 2023, and an appeal of the decision by Rogers was dismissed by a domestic court in Toronto on Monday.
Rogers, the owner of MLS club Toronto FC’s parent company, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
