The Canadian Premier League logo is seen on a game ball at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, May 9, 2023.Soccer fans in Canada could be forgiven for thinking that, lately, the off-field action has been more interesting than anything happening on the pitch. In the past few months alone, two blockbuster lawsuits turned an already astonishing story – the two senior national teams in open revolt against their federation – into one of almost comical chaos.
With six months to go before the Paris Olympics, it looked as if Canadians wouldn’t be able to watch any of the national women’s team tuneup games – nor any of the other matches CSB owned the rights to, such as the men’s qualifiers for this summer’s Copa America, the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, or Canadian Premier League games.
We don’t yet know what the permanent shape will be of the détente between CSB and Mediapro. But the issues highlighted by the statements of claim filed in court – including OneSoccer’s lack of success in getting carried by most of the major cable companies in this country – haven’t gone away. OneSoccer – and, frankly, the drastically improved performances of the national squads – helped prove that Canadians would tune in to watch our women and men wearing the Maple Leaf, even outside of the Olympics and FIFA events.