Canadian Soccer Dispute Escalates as 2026 FIFA World Cup Approaches
The Canadian soccer landscape is embroiled in a heated dispute between OneSoccer, a subscription streaming service, and Rogers Communications Canada Inc., a telecom giant, over access to Canadian national team games and other soccer content. The standoff has significant implications for Canadian soccer fans, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just a year away.
At the heart of the dispute is a ruling by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) in March 2023, which found that Rogers had given an undue preference to itself and other services comparable to OneSoccer, and had subjected OneSoccer to a disadvantage. The CRTC directed the two parties to submit proposed remedies for resolving the finding of undue preference and disadvantage by April 11, 2023. However, two years later, nothing has changed, with OneSoccer remaining available only as a streaming service and through select cable providers.
According to a report by Burnaby Now, OneSoccer’s owner, Scott Mitchell, is perplexed by the delay, stating that the CRTC’s ruling was "very clear." Mitchell, who is also chairman of the Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business, believes that Rogers is deliberately delaying the process. "Clearly Rogers has been doing what they can to delay that … It’s been with the CRTC for several years now and clearly it’s taken far too long," he said in an interview.
Rogers has declined to make a spokesperson available, issuing a brief statement that referred to past company filings. The company claims that there are "valid commercial reasons" for refusing to distribute OneSoccer, citing the channel’s "limited appeal to Canadian consumers." However, Mitchell reports that OneSoccer subscriptions are up 40 per cent this year, and he believes that a larger audience is out there, particularly with Rogers controlling about half the linear TV audience in Canada.
The dispute has significant implications for Canadian soccer fans, with Sunday’s high-profile CONCACAF Champions Cup final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul available only to OneSoccer and Fubo subscribers in Canada. Mitchell expressed disappointment that not as many Canadians would be able to watch the match as there should be, citing a clear audience for it.
A report by Burnaby Now also highlighted that Rogers has offered to show some of OneSoccer’s programming on Rogers On Demand and on the OneSoccer app on Ignite TV. However, OneSoccer consultant Laura Mellanby believes that Rogers’ resistance is down to the bottom line, citing the high production costs of live sports channels.
Mellanby, who has worked for both Rogers and Bell, points to Willow, a cricket-themed channel carried by Rogers, that takes feeds from others rather than produce games themselves. "Production is very expensive, especially sports production. And you can only simplify it so much. You can’t do a single-camera coverage of a soccer game," she said.
The CRTC case has sparked a wider debate about the future of Canadian soccer broadcasting. Canada Soccer, which clearly wants to expand its audience, is watching the situation with interest, although CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue declined comment citing the ongoing CRTC case.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, the dispute between OneSoccer and Rogers shows no signs of resolution. It remains to be seen how this will impact Canadian soccer fans and the sport as a whole. One thing is certain, however: the issue needs to be resolved quickly to ensure that Canadian soccer fans have access to the content they want.
In conclusion, the dispute between OneSoccer and Rogers highlights the complexities of Canadian soccer broadcasting and the challenges faced by sports channels in securing distribution deals. As the CRTC case continues to drag on, Canadian soccer fans are left to wonder when they will have access to a wider range of soccer content. According to Burnaby Now, only time will tell if a resolution will be reached before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
