CRTC Dispute Between OneSoccer and Rogers Drags On as 2026 FIFA World Cup Looms
A long-standing dispute between OneSoccer and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. continues to delay the availability of Canadian soccer programming to a wider TV audience, as the country counts down to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to a report by CityNews Toronto, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) ruled in favour of OneSoccer in March 2023, stating 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, and the case’s paper trail has grown exponentially. OneSoccer’s parent company, Timeless Inc., has expressed frustration with the delay, with owner Scott Mitchell stating that the ruling was "very clear" and that Rogers has been doing what it can to delay 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," Mitchell said in an interview with CityNews Toronto. "We have a home World Cup on the horizon and we clearly have a growing soccer audience and ecosystem. And this issue should be dealt with quickly."
OneSoccer remains available as a streaming service and as one of the channels provided by Fubo, also a subscription service. Telus cable subscribers in the West can also access it. Despite this, Mitchell reports that OneSoccer subscriptions are up 40 per cent this year, but a larger audience is out there, as Rogers controls about half the linear TV audience in Canada. Rogers has declined to make a spokesperson available, issuing a brief statement that referred a reporter to past company filings. "We offer our customers a wide variety of popular and premium sports programming from multiple leading content providers," the statement said. "For those who want even more soccer content, they have the option to subscribe to OneSoccer as a stand-alone streaming service."
The dispute has significant implications for Canadian soccer fans, as Sunday’s high-profile CONCACAF Champions Cup final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul was only available to OneSoccer and Fubo subscribers in Canada. Mitchell expressed disappointment that not as many Canadians were able to watch the match as there should be, citing a clear audience for it. Rogers argues that there are "valid commercial reasons" for refusing to distribute OneSoccer, saying the channel has "limited appeal to Canadian consumers." OneSoccer’s audience is small, other than for Canadian national team games, it argues.
Rogers also notes that other major cable providers — including Bell, Cogeco, Videotron, Eastlink, and Sasktel — do not currently carry OneSoccer’s linear television channel. Rogers has offered to show some of OneSoccer’s programming on Rogers On Demand and on the OneSoccer app on Ignite TV. The two have partnered in the past, with Rogers Sportsnet carrying OneSoccer’s broadcasts of Canadian men’s World Cup qualifying games in 2021, agreeing to split advertising revenue with the proviso that there be no OneSoccer branding on the programming.
In its submissions, Rogers has also argued that Timeless was "under the control of a non-Canadian entity" when it filed its CRTC complaint, referencing foreign-owned Mediapro. It argues "Canadian ownership and control" is a "foundational tenet of the Canadian broadcasting system." Mediapro was OneSoccer’s production partner until the two parted in a legal dispute, since resolved. OneSoccer argues that while Mediapro "ran day-to-day operations and provided other services for OneSoccer, this was done on behalf of and under the direction of Timeless."
Canada’s upcoming games at the Canadian Shield Tournament are being shown on TSN as well as OneSoccer. While Mitchell’s group owns the rights, he said it was happy to work with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which organized the event. However, such deals are rare, and Mitchell said OneSoccer has not been offered a single penny of investment for any of the media companies in Canada to carry any of the matches. "To this day, we’ve not been offered a single penny of investment for any of the media companies in Canada to carry any of the matches," Mitchell said.
OneSoccer consultant Laura Mellanby believes 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," Mellanby said.
If Rogers were to carry OneSoccer, it would pay the service a monthly fee negotiated on the basis of the number of subscribers. Rogers would then mark their fees up, to recover its investment. Mellanby argues that the shared risk of carrying a sports channel with high production costs also comes with a shared reward — especially with a channel featuring a sport "that is in a pivotal moment in its history in this country." "A good investment, if you ask me," she said.
Mellanby says OneSoccer has had "really productive conversations" with Bell about distributing the channel. However, she says the rest of the industry is waiting to see what happens with the CRTC case. "Nobody wants to spend any money … This is not a charity, it’s a business," Mellanby said. "There needs to be a revenue stream." Canada Soccer, which clearly wants to expand its audience, is understandably watching with interest, although CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue declined comment citing the ongoing CRTC case.
This is a developing story, and CityNews Toronto will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
