David Marshall

We’re excited to announce the extension of our partnership for exclusive Canadian media rights to international and club competitions with CONCACAF - a move that consolidates a fragmented calendar for National Team and club competitions at both the national and regional levels. Why does this matter? By securing these CONCACAF media rights, alongside Canada Soccer’s media rights last week, we’re ensuring that all National Team matches (men’s and women’s) on the calendar - with the exception of FIFA World Cup finals — and all Canadian Premier League and CONCACAF club competitions (men’s and women’s) are now part of the same media ecosystem and will be licensed to OneSoccer. Confederations continue to evolve their role, not just in competition, but in shaping the broader media landscape. We’re proud to deepen our relationship with CONCACAF and continue innovating to drive the industry forward. A huge thank you to Philippe Moggio and his team for their continued collaboration. Read the full media release here: https://lnkd.in/g2GNBCef Netflix TSN - The Sports Network - Canada

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Having relevant premium products has become necessary for sports franchises to effectively capture fans’ time and money in a crowded live entertainment landscape. “We’re competing with the best bars and restaurants in downtown Toronto…You have to compel people to come to the ballpark beyond the game,” Mark Shapiro (president and CEO, Toronto Blue Jays) said. So, the Jays embarked on a $400 million-plus CAD effort to reimagine 30+ year old Rogers Centre —originally created as a multipurpose venue— following the 2022 season. The club, with the global architecture firm Populous’ help, demolished and rebuilt the lower bowl, reimagined its outfield district, overhauled player facilities, and introduced four new club and premium spaces to accommodate different fan segments. “We went from having almost no modern premium products to now having several different options that are among the best in sports,” Shapiro said. Toronto fans seem to be happy with the enhancements. Club members awarded the new premium experience an NPS score of 70 in 2025. The TD Clubhouse, the team’s only large-scale premium club pre-renovation, earned a 41 back in 2023. And the organization’s top line has benefited from the costly investment too. The new spaces have driven net-new premium revenue, new corporate partnerships and naming rights entitlements, and higher overall attendance, strategic ticket pricing, and concessions per caps. “The more distinctive the offering, the more memorable the fan experience—and the stronger the revenue growth is going to be,” Isabelle Ivanov-Rijnties (principal and interior design director, Populous) said. cc: JohnWallStreet Rogers Communications Marnie Starkman Derek Sommers Link to column in comments 👇

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The handbrake is off for Canadian soccer. Today, under our new Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) identity, we announced a renewed 12-year partnership with Canada Soccer - a decisive reset for the decade ahead. This is more than a contract extension. It reflects a stronger, more aligned relationship built on transparency, shared ambition and accountability. We are committed to growing the game together - commercially and structurally - in a way that supports performance on the pitch and participation across the country. The new model aligns incentives through revenue share and expands our mandate across sponsorship, media rights and licensing - creating an integrated commercial platform designed to fuel sustainable growth. Together, we will establish a whole-of-game digital soccer hub, connecting communities to our professional clubs and National Teams - strengthening the pathway from local pitches to the international stage. With a co-hosted FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States approaching, momentum is building. We expect new partners to join as the market responds to this clarity and alignment — translating into greater investment in our players, the Canadian Premier League, our Premier Soccer Leagues, programs and communities. This agreement creates clarity. It creates alignment. It creates the platform for the next chapter of Canadian soccer. The next phase begins now. https://lnkd.in/g_tDaH9f

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A significant development for Canadian football. Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment signalling it is “open for business” to institutional investors reflects more than a capital raise. It reflects structural maturity. An integrated commercial model that brings together: • Men’s and Women’s National Team rights • A Tier 1 domestic league (CPL) • A growing international media rights portfolio (Concacaf, Bundesliga, NWSL and more to come) • A direct-to-consumer OTT platform in OneSoccer …all housed within one ecosystem, is rare in global sport. Most markets are fragmented — federation rights separated from leagues, media divorced from commercial strategy, data disconnected from distribution. Alignment at this level creates scale, efficiency and long-term enterprise value. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, Canadian Premier League expansion plans, ongoing rights acquisition strategy and a sharpened commercial agreement with Canada Soccer now in place, the timing is strategic. However, institutional capital in sport today is sophisticated. It looks for: • Governance stability • Media distribution certainty • Data and digital growth capability • Scalable commercial inventory • Long-term structural upside The opportunity here is not simply to raise capital. It is to accelerate an ecosystem — from grassroots to national teams — in one of the strongest economies globally, within the fastest-growing major sport in the country. The window created by 2026 will not remain open indefinitely. The right partner won’t just fund growth — they will help shape it. https://lnkd.in/g-SV7ePw

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Exciting times for Canadian soccer! The renewed partnership between Canada Soccer and Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (formerly Canadian Soccer Business) marks a major milestone for the sport in this country. This long-term commercial agreement goes beyond a contract extension — it aligns incentives, expands media & licensing opportunities, increases revenue, and creates a more coordinated platform to grow Canadian soccer on and off the pitch. Incremental revenues from this partnership are explicitly targeted back into national team programs, coaching and referee development, and community soccer initiatives, offering a strong foundation for sustainable growth. But here’s the part that truly matters: commercial success and grassroots development must grow hand-in-hand. While partnerships like this amplify the reach and resources of Canadian soccer, the real strength of the game is built where it starts — at home, in local communities, on backyard balls and street touches, and in community clubs where young players first fall in love with the sport. That’s where future national team stars are born. That’s where confidence, creativity, and football identity are forged. And that’s why football starts at home — rooted in grassroots, supported by investment, and lifted by pathways that let every young Canadian dream of playing the beautiful game. This partnership provides the fuel — but the heartbeat of soccer in Canada will always be at the grassroots.

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So excited to be announcing this new partnership with fundraising market leaders Cogeo, who have helped many amateur sport organizations raise literally millions of dollars through professionally-built, structured fundraising programs. It's a new and worrying revenue world out there, Canadian amateur sport leaders! 1) Your club membership is tapped out and can't keep continue to shoulder fee hikes in this age of affordability crises. 2) Governments ain't coming to the party anymore, as they move away from funding social programming and concentrate on job creation, housing and defence. 3) Investment in sports facilities by municipal government remains way below what's needed - if you want new facilities, you'd better start looking at how you can build them yourself. New sustainable, long term revenue streams is now a MUST HAVE, not a nice to have. And fundraising is a revenue line that is just waiting to be tapped. Cogeo can show you how. Contact me at pvarian@capitisconsulting.ca and let me introduce them to you!

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Given the number of legal gambling operators in Ontario who are lining up to participate in Alberta's incoming legal market, we figured the timing was right to speak with the interim CEO of the Alberta iGaming Corporation, Dan Keene. Keene is our guest on a new episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming. The long-time AGLC employee spoke about his move to AiGC and his leadership role in creating Canada's second open, regulated gaming industry. We spoke about the employment opportunities available at the new organization and the collaboration with the provincial government in Alberta and AGLC to get up and running. We also asked Keene about his conversations with people at The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario and the lessons learned from that province's launch of legal sports betting and igaming in April 2022, along with the input of the Canadian Gaming Association. And, of course, we asked the AiGC interim boss for a launch date. https://lnkd.in/gwRBPeUW

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🆙 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟰𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Predictions for 2026 made at the intersection of #sports, #streaming, and #media with Richard Gillis and Murray Barnett — including but not limited to: 🏈💰𝗡𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗡𝗙𝗟 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. With the opt-out window only looming post-2028/29, the NFL has no forcing deadline — despite coming off a 35-year audience high and looking undervalued vs. post-2023 mega-deals across US sports. These are multi-year, line-by-line negotiations, not sprint decisions. Add buyer-side uncertainty (e.g. WBD sales process) and a league that’s still monetizing annual carve-outs (e.g. the $100M+ season-opening game auction) — and there’s little incentive to rush. Next test case: Who writes the next nine-figure check for a single game? YouTube again? Or a new entrant — Apple TV+? 👀 📱🇺🇸 𝗗𝗔𝗭𝗡 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗰𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀. For DAZN, this is the biggest — and likely last — credible swing at cracking the U.S. market, a must-win market for both scale and story: commercial relevance, and ultimately a viable IPO narrative. For Main Street Sports, a reset is equally non-negotiable. Chapter 11 clears legacy RSN contracts and residual debt, making the largest remaining regional sports network finally acquirable. The logic fits DAZN’s recent playbook: more-collaborative rights agreements, distressed sports assets, post-restructuring entry, platform-first integration — Belgium, France, Italy as precedent. One deal. Two imperatives. High risk — but strategically rational. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 🏆 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. With most low-hanging subscriber growth exhausted and many media rights cycles entering their back half, the focus shifts from subscriber growth at all costs to durable profitability. The short-term response to improve accessibility isn’t consolidation (if any in 2026) but cooperation: bundling, aggregation, shared distribution, technical interoperability — all aimed at fixing what consumers feel most acutely today: too many services, prohibitive prices, fragmented rights, and incompatible platforms. A rare reset in the short term where business needs align with consumer interest. … and much more to unpack, including some left-field predictions about #NASCAR #Tennis #UEFAChampionsLeague. 👇🏼 Link to The Bundle 📧 bulletin and 🎧 podcast episode below.

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The Bundesliga International GmbH and DAZN have reached an agreement to extend the broadcast rights for an additional two years in Canada. Details for Forbes. https://lnkd.in/g9RPkBM4

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⚽️🇨🇦 In their new 10-year “Technical Development Plan,” Ontario Soccer says they want to “continue to track and monitor player development and progression using more data.” 🤷🏻‍♂️ I find this recommendation particularly confusing, because for the past 10 years, Ontario Soccer has been collecting completely unreliable (therefore, completely useless) data, and, they have never done anything with the data they’ve collected. ❓Are they just going to add more “data” so they can tick another box to increase registration fees❓ ⬇️ Check out my latest video to see my thoughts, and please feel free to share yours in the comments below.

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We often hear that we should “think about sport differently.” But should it be different just to be different? I find myself reflecting on what sport in Canada should be — and what role each of us plays in that ecosystem. One thing is clear: multi-sport participation leads to more benefits and fewer risks of dropout than early specialization. That’s the kind of data-driven insight we can’t afford to ignore. As we imagine the future, I hope it’s not a future with fewer National Sport Organizations. Fewer NSOs will only mean fewer opportunities. At the same time, we must protect and strengthen the organizations that serve para athletes and other under-represented groups. Their work is essential, not optional. Sport and physical activity must be for everyone. If we want a healthier nation, we need a sport system built on inclusion, access, and long-term participation — and we need to make the connection between sport and health clearer than ever. #SportForAll #CanadianSport #ParaSport #Inclusion #PhysicalActivity #HealthierCommunities #LeadershipInSport #FutureOfSport #MultiSportKids

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Most national TV commercials take months. We had 12 days. When Cetaphil Canada partnered with us for GLOBL JAM, they had commercial spots on Sportsnet. But they saw the opportunity to do something bigger — a campaign built around athletes, not just airtime. And we were in. The only problem; we had 12 days. 12 days to align athletes, contracts, production, approvals, and deliver broadcast-ready creative on time. Here’s how it came together: — Janine Dizon and the Cetaphil team came together with a script and a spec piece, and leaned in to keep pre-production moving. This doesn't happen without their trust and support. — Cailey Theos worked directly with athlete agents to get contracts done quickly. — Colin Wouda + team built out the creative vision and secured a location that gave us everything we needed to move fast. — Matthew Jared Wong ensured that athlete travel, accommodation, and their experience stayed seamless around the shoot. — Magdalena Grammenopoulos and Chrysoula Dimitrakopoulos kept social content production on track alongside the broadcast spots. The result? Two 15-second commercials featuring 2024 Olympian Yvonne Ejim and NCAA standout Xaivian Lee, airing nationally during GLOBL JAM — while both athletes were representing Canada on the court, with Cetaphil on the front of their jerseys. Why does this matter? ✨ Athletes as faces, not just logos. Yvonne and Xaivian weren’t only competing for Canada — they became the faces of a national TV campaign. ⚡ Canada Basketball as agile storytellers. We continue to show that a national federation can deliver with the speed and flexibility of an in-house agency — from athlete negotiations to production to broadcast delivery. 🌎 Athlete opportunities that don’t always exist. With NIL deals off-limits in the U.S., this created something rare — a chance for Canadian athletes to amplify their image at home, gain national visibility, and connect with a global brand. 💡 Partners who choose athletes win bigger. Cetaphil leaned in and made athletes the centre of the story. The result: a campaign with more impact for everyone. Janine Dizon Samer Husseini Cailey Theos Matthew Jared Wong Magdalena Grammenopoulos Chrysoula Dimitrakopoulos Colin Wouda Tim Hutchison Scott Trapasso Media That Matters Inc. Christian B.

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No joke, I need to bring my A-game to this panel which is taking place at SPORTEL in Singapore on March 25. Streaming has revolutionized the sports broadcast industry. And with all that data that gets gathered via streaming, deep investment into content and fan experience personalization seems very sensible. But I am also concerned about the likely cascading effects of too much personalization. Looking forward to a great conversation with moderator Ken Kerschbaumer and fellow panelist Sean Curran! Also looking forward to reuniting with friends and colleagues -- and meeting new potential collaborators in Singapore.

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In keeping with my attempt at Business As Usual ( ish) approach, I drafted this article on AI..would love your thoughts on AI/Business as Usual ( ish)....

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Canada’s newest sports streaming service is about to launch! 🚀 Tenor Sports debuts Jan. 3 and anyone of Scottish descent will be especially delighted as the service is bringing Scottish Professional Football League ⚽️ back to Canada 🇨🇦! Vancouver-based investment firm Tenor Investments Inc. acquired the exclusive Canadian broadcast rights for its new service, which kicks it off with the “Old Firm”rivalry of Celtic FC vs Rangers FC. Tenor Sports joins an expanding field of OTT services airing soccer in Canada that includes Fubo, DAZN, OneSoccer, and Apple TV+, as well as traditional linear TV broadcasters Sportsnet, TSN - The Sports Network - Canada and TLN Media Group. It just became easier to track Canadians Alistair Johnston, Derek Conelius and David Hoilett, and other players bound to represent their countries at FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States. Congratulations to Hugh Dobbie and the team at Tenor Investments on the acquisition. Gerald Woodman 🇨🇦 I Steven Caldwell I Bruce Henderson I James Sharman #soccer #Canada

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