Canada Soccer Business, the little-known entity that represents Canada Soccer’s corporate partnerships and broadcast rights among other assets, is tired of getting slagged.lambasted both Canada Soccer“The CSB has been misunderstood,” said Mark Noonan, who doubles as CEO of Canada Soccer Business and commissioner of the Canadian Premier League.
“Canada Soccer’s principal revenue streams have been in large part diverted to Canada Soccer Business to the benefit of the owners of for-profit minor league professional soccer teams,” it said in reference to the Canadian Premier League, which is now entering its fifth season.The CBS issued a rare public statement Monday evening, presenting its case. It said its investors – the owners of the eight CPL teams – have invested close to $100-million “in the development of the game.
“We’ve gone to Canada Soccer and said ‘Help us understand the problems,”’ said Noonan, adding such discussions were continuing Tuesday.“That would be incremental money beyond the guarantee,” said Noonan. “And we have no contractual obligation to increase our guarantee. We’ve proactively said ‘What can we do here?”’ The CSB was announced in March 2018 as “a new sports enterprise representing commercial assets and inventory for marquee soccer properties in Canada.
Canada Soccer, which does not hold an ownership stake in CSB, is reportedly receiving $3-million to $4-million a year currently under the deal as “the beneficiary of a rights fee guarantee.” “And that guarantee goes up every single year of the agreement no matter how well the teams do, how we do. So we’ve taken on a big risk there,” he said.
CSB said it made a presentation last July to the women’s team, offering “direct dialogue there to see how we can ally and use resources to be able to make sure that they have what they need to be successful on the field.”He said whatever the length of the CSB agreement with Canada Soccer, “we’re building this asset for soccer in Canada that ultimately belongs to Canada Soccer.