Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), the commercial arm of Canada's soccer governing body, has acquired rights to North America's top-tier National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for its OneSoccer streaming platform. This move is part of a broader strategy to increase the visibility of national team players domestically.
The non-exclusive rights that CSB has secured will make OneSoccer the NWSL’s broadcast partner in Canada. This comes at a crucial time as it precedes the participation of Canadian teams in the flagship FIFA men’s and women’s World Cups in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
OneSoccer was initially established as a joint venture between CSB and Mediapro agency but is now solely operated by CSB following Mediapro's departure in 2024.
The NWSL features over 20 Canadian players, including current national team members and Olympic gold medalists such as Kailen Sheridan, Janine Sonis, Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, and Gabrielle Carle. The regular season for NWSL will run from March 13 to November 1 in 2026 with playoffs scheduled from November 6 to11.
Other notable acquisitions
This new deal follows another significant acquisition by CSB - non-exclusive rights in Canada to Germany’s top-tier Bundesliga. This allows OneSoccer to showcase Bayern Munich player Alphonso Davies who also captains the Canadian men's national team ahead of co-hosting duties at the upcoming World Cup alongside US and Mexico.
Under this arrangement every Bayern Munich game will be available live or on-demand through OneSoccer which also includes season-opening German Super Cup competition games along with season-ending relegation playoffs.
James Johnson, group chief executive of CSB, said:
“Our vision at CSB is to strategically acquire and manage media rights in ways that expand access to the game and support the long-term growth of soccer in Canada.
“That includes increasing the visibility and impact of Canadian players across the game, expanding the range of competitions available to fans, and ensuring consistent access at home beyond international windows and competitions.”
OneSoccer holds rights to several other major soccer events including the Concacaf Champions Cup international club competition, the Canadian Premier League top-flight, and the Canadian Championship annual tournament. The platform also showcases games from both Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams as well as wider action from the Concacaf Nations League competition.
CSB's relationship with Canada soccer
The new deal comes amidst CSB's efforts to reset its relationship with Canadian soccer following questions about its partnership with Canada Soccer. This culminated in a lawsuit filed by the Canadian Soccer Players Association union against board members of the governing body and CSB leaders being summoned before the Canadian government’s Heritage Committee for clarification on their deal.
Canada Soccer had a 10-year agreement with CSB, established in March 2018 to represent commercial assets like sponsorship and broadcast deals for national teams through 2028. Although Canada Soccer does not hold an ownership stake in CSB, it was paid around $3 million to $4 million annually while remaining funds were used by CSB to support top-tier Canadian Premier League (CPL).
Following these developments, former Football Australia head James Johnson replaced Mark Noonan as group chief executive of CSB in May 2025. Noonan had served as commissioner of CPL and chief executive of CSB.
