Realizing the success of a coast-to-coast professional soccer league in Canada is a costly and challenging work in progress. Referred to as the “league of opportunity” by Canadian Premier League Commissioner and CEO of Canada Soccer Business Mark Noonan, the CPL’s plans for growth and expansion lie in the foundations of strategic partnerships, leveraging national talent and a strong digital and broadcasting presence.
Before delving into the intricacies of the CPL’s business model and the brains behind its direction and leadership, it is essential to first examine the league’s inception. The CPL was founded on May 6, 2017, by the Canadian Soccer Association and has held an annual season since 2019. The primary objective of the league has always been to enhance Canadian soccer, elevate the prominence of homegrown talent, and boost visibility, with the top priority being to expand the national team pool and foster competition to help Canada qualify for and compete in the FIFA World Cup. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 75 per cent of the league’s minutes go to Canadian players. In addition, over 100,000 minutes of playing time have been given to under-21 Canadian players since the league’s establishment.
Also, it is a requirement that a country have a domestic soccer league in order to be qualified to host the FIFA World Cup.
Jesse Marsch, head coach of the national men’s soccer team, stated in a July interview with Sportsnet that the CPL “should be playing as many young [Canadian] players as they possibly can. There should be rules about how many young players are on the pitch. And again, when I mean young players, I don’t mean 22-year-olds; I mean 17, 18, and 19-year-olds.
“There needs to be a way to put more responsibility on young players and to challenge them.”
Marsch’s call resonates strongly with the league’s existing approach. As outlined in the 2024 CPL roster rules and regulations, “each CPL club must accumulate a minimum of 2,000 minutes played by under-21 domestic players, including players on the club’s developmental roster, over the course of the regular season.”
Marsch attended the July 14 match between Forge FC and Pacific FC, two of the eight teams competing in the CPL, likely scouting for young prospects seeking to secure a place on his squad at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The men’s national team achieved a breakthrough performance at this summer’s COPA America, finishing fourth after losing on penalties to Uruguay in the third-place match. This was the first time that Canada had ever participated in the tournament.
Offering up-and-coming players a platform to showcase their skills at the pro level is just the first step; ensuring they can gain visibility and recognition is the second one.
OneSoccer was launched in 2019 by Mediapro and struck a 10-year deal with CSB to become the league’s globally dedicated streaming platform. However, in late January, CSB took back broadcast rights to all its properties from Mediapro Canada after the two sides headed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. In a statement issued on June 18, Mediapro Canada said that through this settlement, it has transferred “all OneSoccer online service, intellectual property and all associated rights to Timeless,” which owns OneSoccer, according to Sportcal.
“Broadcast is foundational in any professional sport, and we are working to increase the distribution of OneSoccer to include more linear outlets to drive more awareness and better economics,” said Noonan. “We want OneSoccer to be the 24/7/365 home for soccer fans in Canada.”
“As OneSoccer gets closer to becoming a linear channel on some of the major television cable companies, it is important to understand that digital media, social media and streaming are absolutely enormous for a league like ours to be relevant and known,” said Kristian Jack, Vice President of Content and Media at the CPL.
Who is responsible for increasing the distribution of OneSoccer to include more linear outlets, you may ask? That would be CSB, an organization established as a revenue-generating entity to capitalize on the commercial potential of the country’s soccer assets – managing all corporate partnerships and media rights associated with Canada Soccer. In collaboration with the CPL, CSB has finalized partnership agreements with companies such as TikTok to promote the league nationwide through live streams, behind-the-scenes content, and engagement with the global soccer fan community, per CSB’s website.
“YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms allow us to connect with our fans daily, build up our players and teams, and show new fans daily just how exciting our league is,” said Jack.
“[Digital presence and social media] is critical to us, and we have only begun to scratch the surface here. This is where our fans live, and these channels give us the opportunity to engage with them 24/7/365 on their terms,” stated Noonan.
The ownership structure of the eight CPL clubs includes an array of different investor groups, funds and Canadian Football League owners. York United FC, for example, is owned by the Mexican ownership group Game Plan Sports - a newly formed group of investors with extensive ties to Mexican soccer, according to The Athletic. Valour FC is controlled and operated by Winnipeg Football Club, the parent company of the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The CPL’s growth hinges on penetrating into untapped markets to identify more talent nationwide and increase fandom. In April, Noonan told the Calgary Herald that the CPL wants to expand, adding that there are 15 different markets that the league is looking at, and several investor groups are conducting diligence on those markets.
“Expansion is important for our league, but it has to be right. We need the conditions to be successful in any market we put a CPL team in,” Noonan said. “These include but are not limited to, the right facility to play in, the right ownership, municipal support, strong relations with the local soccer community, and commitment from the corporate sector.”
As Canadian grassroots talent in soccer continues to thrive and with the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, the next few years will undoubtedly see the CPL asserting itself as a major force in the growth of the sport. Soccer in Canada is still on the upswing, and the nation still has plenty of unleashed potential.
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