Canadian Soccer Business Announces New Partnership with EB Games Canada Supporting Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League

Canadian Soccer Business Announces New Partnership with EB Games Canada Supporting Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League

Toronto, ON – (Jan. 21, 2025) – Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) today announced a new multi-year partnership with EB Games Canada, welcoming the country’s largest video game retailer into the Canadian soccer ecosystem in support of Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

The partnership positions EB Games Canada as the Official and Exclusive Video Game Retailer of Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League, reflecting a shared belief in the power of community and participation. Bringing together organizations focused on connecting people through the games they love, the collaboration will engage fans across the country through initiatives designed to celebrate local connection, creativity, and shared passion and to extend the presence of Canadian soccer beyond matchday and into the cultural moments, spaces, and conversations that surround the game.

“EB Games Canada is a brand deeply rooted in community, creativity, and shared passion, values that also sit at the heart of Canadian soccer,” said Michael Beckerman, Chief Commercial Officer, Canadian Soccer Business. “This partnership reflects a shared belief in the power of play and participation to bring people together, and it creates meaningful opportunities, from grassroots to the professional and international games, to connect with fans in authentic and lasting ways across the country.”

EB Games Canada has long served as a nationwide gathering place for fans and communities built around play and culture. The partnership creates new opportunities to connect with existing supporters while inviting new audiences to engage with Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League in accessible, authentic ways.

“At EB Games Canada, we believe deeply in the power of play to bring people together, and that same sense of community lives at the heart of Canadian soccer,” said Jim Tyo, President of EB Games Canada. “Partnering with Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League allows us to support the continued growth of the game nationally, while our front-of-kit sponsorship of FC Supra du Québec represents a meaningful investment in the domestic professional game. We’re proud to connect with fans in authentic ways and to help build a strong future for soccer in Canada.

EB Games Canada will become the first front-of-kit sponsor for the Canadian Premier League’s newest club, FC Supra du Québec, marking a significant investment in the domestic professional game.

The partnership also creates opportunities for EB Games Canada to engage with fans through Canada Soccer events and experiences during a pivotal period for the continued growth and visibility of the game nationally.

The collaboration reflects Canadian Soccer Business’s vision to bring the Canadian soccer community closer together, strengthening the game through culture, connection, and long-term growth.

“We’re excited to welcome EB Games Canada to the Canada Soccer partner family,” said Dominic Martin, Director, Marketing, Canada Soccer. “This partnership will help us connect with fans where their interests live, blending play, community, and sport, while creating new and engaging ways for supporters across the country to connect with Canada Soccer and the game they love.”

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About Canadian Soccer Business

Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) represents a suite of top-tier national assets that are central to the sport of soccer in Canada. This includes representation for all corporate partnerships and media rights (broadcast and distribution) related to Canada Soccer’s core assets including the Men’s and Women’s National Team and the TELUS Canadian Championship, along with all rights associated with the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and League1 Canada.

About Canada Soccer

Canada Soccer, in partnership with its membership and its partners, provides leadership in the pursuit of excellence in soccer, both at the national and international levels. Canada Soccer not only strives to lead Canada to victory, but also encourages Canadians to a life-long passion for soccer.

About EB Games Canada

With over 185 stores across Canada, EB Games leads the market in Video Game and pop culture related Toys & Collectibles. Proudly a community specialist, the EB Games team is driven by passion and an unwavering commitment to deliver a unique product and service experience for our customers.

About Canadian Premier League

The Canadian Premier League (CPL), Canada’s Tier 1 domestic men’s soccer league, is committed to its mission of providing opportunities for Canadian players to showcase their abilities on home soil and to gain prominence on the global soccer scene. A link between the amateur and professional games in the country, the CPL develops homegrown talent in support of the growth of Canadian soccer domestically and internationally. The CPL is proud to bring high-quality, professional soccer to communities from coast to coast, partnering with strong ownership groups, world-class corporate partners and passionate supporters to build a league Canadians can proudly support on and off the field.  The CPL, which will contest its eighth season in 2026, plays in Concacaf and FIFA sanctioned competitions. For more updates and information, please visit CanPL.ca 

For more information, please contact:

Laura Armstrong

Senior Director, Communications 

Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business

laura.armstrong@canpl.ca

Katrin Ivanov

Coordinator, Communications 

Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business 

katrin.ivanov@canpl.ca

Paulo Senra

Chief Communications & Content Officer

psenra@canadasoccer.com

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Costa Smyrniotis

Costa Smyrniotis is a seasoned Canadian executive with nearly 20 years of experience driving the growth of soccer domestically and internationally. Currently serving in the Canadian Premier League Commissioner’s Office, Smyrniotis previously spent five years as Director of Football and Business at Forge FC. Under his leadership, Forge became a dominant domestic force and a respected organization within the Concacaf region.

As a co-founder of Sigma FC, one of North America’s premier development academies, Smyrniotis has been instrumental in cultivating top-tier talent. Sigma has produced a steady pipeline of professional players and technical staff, most notably Cyle Larin, the Canadian Men’s National Team’s all-time leading goal scorer.

Beyond club management, Smyrniotis established a prominent North American player agency, managing the careers of numerous international and Canadian stars. His professional foundation is rooted in business, having held senior roles at several multinational corporations before transitioning to soccer full-time. This unique blend of corporate expertise and deep footballing knowledge makes him a pivotal figure in the evolution of the Canadian game.

Laura Armstrong

Laura Armstrong is Vice President, Communications & Business Integration at Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment, where she leads strategic communications, public relations, and key stakeholder engagement across the company’s corporate functions, leagues, and media assets.

In this role, Laura works closely with executive leadership to align organizational strategy and priorities, supporting the delivery of the company’s long-term vision through coordinated planning and execution across teams.

Prior to joining CSME, Laura spent nearly a decade as a journalist with the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper, where she led the paper’s soccer coverage beginning in 2015. A leading voice in Canadian soccer — particularly in the women’s game — she covered major milestones including the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Toronto FC’s treble-winning 2017 season, and Canada’s men’s national team qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Laura regularly appeared across national and international broadcast platforms including OneSoccer, Sportsnet, CBC, CTV, the BBC and more

A bilingual native of Barrhaven, Ont., Laura holds a combined honours degree in Journalism and English Literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Dylan Hewko

Dylan Hewko is a finance executive with extensive experience in professional sports, specializing in financial strategy, governance, and organizational oversight. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, Finance, supporting the continued growth and financial stewardship of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment.

In this corporate leadership role, Dylan is responsible for financial planning, reporting, and governance, as well as people operations and organizational policies, supporting the company’s overall business objectives across its leagues and properties.

Prior to joining the Canadian Premier League in 2021, Dylan spent three years with New York City FC as Controller and held finance roles with the Toronto Blue Jays. He began his professional career at Deloitte Canada in the Assurance & Advisory practice, building a strong foundation in corporate accounting and financial management.

A graduate of Queen’s University, Dylan holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Graduate Diploma in Accounting, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Canada) and Certified Public Accountant (USA). He has long been engaged in the intersection of sport and business, including through leadership roles with the Queen’s Sports Industry Conference.

Marni Dicker

Marni Dicker is a senior executive and governance leader with deep experience in corporate law, infrastructure development, and organizational leadership across complex public- and private-sector environments.

In her dual role as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Infrastructure, Marni oversees legal strategy, corporate governance, risk management, and compliance, while also leading infrastructure planning and expansion strategy and execution for the Canadian Premier League.

Her career includes senior roles such as Chief Commercial Officer and General Counsel at Infrastructure Ontario, where she led legal and commercial oversight for major infrastructure and venue development projects, including facilities for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. She has also served as Executive Vice President at Live Work Learn Play Inc. and held board positions with organizations including CreateTO, Tarion, and Habitat for Humanity GTA.

A nationally recognized leader, Marni has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. Her honours include the Canadian General Counsel Award for Business Achievement and induction into the Urban Land Institute’s Hall of Champions. She lectures at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Faculty of Law and holds degrees from Western and McGill, along with the ICD.D designation. Marni is a proud wife and mother of two.

Shaun Guest

Shaun Guest is a senior sports business executive with more than a decade of experience driving commercial growth through sponsorships, partnerships, and revenue strategy. He currently serves as Vice President, Commercial Operations, working within the commercial leadership team to support partner growth across Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment and its properties.

In his role, Shaun leads corporate partnerships and sponsorship initiatives, while also overseeing ticketing, and licensing operations. He works closely with internal teams and external partners to deliver integrated commercial programs that support long-term business objectives.

Prior to joining CSME, Shaun served as Vice President, Business Operations for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC, where he played a key role in Forge FC’s launch and oversaw corporate partnerships, ticket sales, community engagement, and marketing initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Shaun held roles with the 2007 Grey Cup Festival and the Toronto Rock, building a strong foundation in ticket sales, sponsorship development and revenue generation across multiple sports and event platforms. He is a graduate of Brock University’s Sport Management program and holds a Master’s degree in Sport & Leisure Commerce from the University of Memphis.

Michael Beckerman

Michael Beckerman is a seasoned marketing and business leader with more than two decades of global experience across sports, media, and consumer brands. He brings a strategic, partner-first approach to growing audiences, brands, and commercial impact within the soccer ecosystem.

Beckerman’s career spans three continents and includes senior leadership roles as Director of Advertising for Nike Europe, Vice President of Marketing at Canadian Airlines, Chief Marketing Officer at the Bank of Montreal, and CEO of sponsorship agency MKTG Canada. He also led Ariad Communications, an award-winning marketing and digital agency, and most recently served as Chief Client Officer at Torstar Corporation.

A recognized voice in sponsorship and brand strategy, Beckerman is a frequent speaker on marketing trends, consumer engagement, and the evolving business of sport.

At CSME, Mike leads partner strategy, helping organizations — including Canada Soccer, the Canadian Premier League, Premier Soccer Leagues Canada, OneSoccer, and other media and properties — connect meaningfully with fans to achieve their business objectives while advancing the growth of soccer in Canada.

James Johnson 

James Johnson is a globally recognized sport and entertainment executive with more than two decades of leadership experience across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He was appointed Group CEO of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) and Commissioner of the Canadian Premier League in July 2025 to accelerate the growth and transformation of Canadian soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Johnson previously served as CEO of Football Australia, leading a period of transformation marked by record commercial growth, strong national team performance, increased participation, and the successful hosting of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The tournament delivered a lasting legacy, unlocking $389 million in government investment to support the sport’s growth in Australia. He also secured record broadcast agreements with Paramount+, Disney+, and Fox Sports.

His career includes senior executive roles with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and City Football Group, where he built a reputation as a commercially driven, innovative leader advancing sport on and off the pitch.

Johnson leads the group’s overall strategic direction, aligning commercial growth, media innovation, and sporting performance to strengthen the business of Canadian soccer. He serves on the board of OneSoccer.