TORONTO — Mediapro Canada announced today it has renewed its agreement with Fox Sports 2 (FS2) and Fox Soccer Plus for the broadcast rights to a wide-ranging package of Canadian soccer content through the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The agreement includes the rights to live coverage of all matches from the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and the 2022 Canadian Championship, which is “the professional club championship organized by Canada Soccer and contested by the eight CPL teams along with the three Canadian teams playing in Major League Soccer (Toronto FC, CF Montréal and the Vancouver Whitecaps),” explains a press release.
Also included in the rights agreement is a series of home friendly matches to be played by Canada Soccer’s men’s and women’s national teams.
All of the match coverage is produced for global distribution by Mediapro Canada.
“The agreement represents the third consecutive year that Fox Sports will bring Canadian soccer to audiences across the USA (exclusive) and the Caribbean (non-exclusive),” the release reads.
Live coverage will air on FS2 and Fox Soccer Plus, which is “a premium television channel dedicated to delivering the world’s best soccer and international sports to hardcore fans,” the release says.
Specifically, in 2022, FS2 and Fox Soccer Plus’ package of Canadian soccer content “includes all 117 games in the CPL, which runs from April to November, as well as 12 Canadian Championship matches and the friendly matches played by Canada Soccer Women’s and Men’s National Teams on home soil, all complemented by a range of studio and panel shows,” the release explains.
Also included in the agreement is the final of the 2020 Canadian Championship, which was postponed to 2022 due to Covid, between Forge FC of the CPL and MLS’ Toronto FC, to be played on June 4.
“In 2023, the CPL is expected to expand to nine teams, increasing the CPL’s schedule to more than 150 matches,” the release says.
“We are delighted to renew our agreement with Fox Sports for a third consecutive year,” said Oscar López, CEO of Mediapro Canada, in the release. “They are one of the premier soccer broadcasters in the US and our Canadian soccer content fits well in their impressive portfolio of domestic and international soccer rights. We’re looking forward to bringing the best of Canadian soccer to US screens.”
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Photo shows Dutch international Djenairo Daniels (23) of Pacific FC clashing with Jonathan Grant (2) of Forge FC in Pacific FC’s home opener in Langford, B.C., last month. Photo provided by Mediapro Canada.
