OTTAWA – The owner of OneSoccer, Timeless Inc., has filed a part one application with the CRTC alleging Rogers Cable is in breach of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations by refusing to carry the dedicated Canadian soccer channel on its cable systems.
Timeless claims despite a “surge in popularity and success for Canadian soccer” Rogers has denied OneSoccer carriage. Its application indicates only Telus customers can currently receive it (although the channel is also available as a direct-to-consumer OTT offering and is available on Fubo TV in Canada).
Timeless argues Rogers will not carry OneSoccer as a cable channel because it has other divisions that “will be concerned about OneSoccer’s emergence as a viable broadcaster.”
“It is reasonable to presume that Sportsnet would not want a competitor on Rogers Cable, which would divert audiences and ad dollars from Sportsnet, and may also inflate future broadcast rights fees, due to increased competition,” the application reads. “Simply: Sportsnet would not want a competing sports service to achieve financial stability, which carriage on Rogers Cable would provide.”
Timeless says it has been trying to come to an agreement for carriage with Rogers for over a year. Rogers has offered to discuss carrying OneSoccer as an incremental app on its Ignite platform, which Timeless claims in and of itself “is a demonstration of undue preference”.
“It would take six-plus months for the OneSoccer app to be integrated into the box by Comcast,” Timeless says in its application. “OneSoccer would then be available a la carte and would not be placed in appropriate packages, which is not commensurate with the carriage of Rogers’ own and Bell’s sport channels. OneSoccer would have a small number of subscribers and limited revenue.”
Timeless further argued even if Rogers is uninterested in carrying OneSoccer as a linear channel, Rogers’ Sportsnet is interested in its content.
“In October of 2021, Sportsnet approached OneSoccer, and offered to carry its broadcasts of Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches,” the application explains.
“Sportsnet offered to split advertising revenue and required that there be no OneSoccer branding on the programming. OneSoccer agreed to this arrangement, so that it could demonstrate to Canadian BDUs how popular Canadian soccer programming could be for Canadian audiences.”
Timeless claims the only reason Rogers would not want to carry OneSoccer is because it competes with Sportsnet. “This means that Rogers is granting itself an undue preference and subjecting OneSoccer to an undue disadvantage,” putting it in breach of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, the company argues.
A Rogers spokesperson told Cartt.ca via email: “We offer our customers the most popular and coveted live and On Demand sports content. We are reviewing this application and will file a response by September 6.”
