Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment and DAZN Bring Canadians Closer to UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League Football

Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment and DAZN Bring Canadians Closer to UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League Football

Partnership expands access to Canadian players competing on Europe’s biggest club stages, with select matches available to Canadian fans through OneSoccer

Toronto, ON — September 9, 2026 — Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment (CSME) today announced a partnership with DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, that will provide Canadian fans with greater access to select UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches during the 2026-27 competitions.

Since December 2025, DAZN has made matches featuring Canadian players available as part of its freemium offering in the market, enabling more fans across Canada to follow their journeys at the highest level of European soccer. DAZN will continue to remove barriers for fans to follow top-tier soccer throughout the 2026–27 season.

As more Canadian players establish themselves at leading clubs across Europe, CSME and DAZN continue to invest in increasing the visibility of Canadian soccer talent to connect fans with Canadians competing at the highest levels of the game. Match selections will include contests featuring some of Canada’s top players, including Jonathan David (Atlético Madrid), Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern Munich), Tajon Buchanan, Tani Oluwaseyi and Nathan Saliba (Villarreal CF) and Alistair Johnston (Celtic FC) and Promise David (Brighton & Hove Albion FC).

“Canadian soccer is in the midst of a remarkable era, with more Canadian players than ever before competing at the highest levels of the global game,” said James Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Soccer Media and Entertainment. 

“Through this partnership with DAZN, we are creating more opportunities for Canadian fans to follow and celebrate Canadian talent competing on some of soccer’s biggest stages. As the presence of Canadian players continues to grow across Europe, we are committed to connecting supporters with the players, stories and moments that are shaping the future of Canadian soccer.”

“Canadian players are making their mark on the biggest stages in European soccer, and DAZN is ensuring fans across Canada can easily follow those journeys. Through our freemium offer, we are bringing major UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches featuring Canadian players to a broader audience. Our partnership with Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment and OneSoccer maximises reach, showcasing the stories of Canadian talent across our extensive global soccer portfolio,” said Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group.

In partnership with DAZN, CSME will license the selected UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches to OneSoccer. Coverage will begin at the start of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League seasons, with match selections and viewing information to be announced throughout the campaign.

In addition to select matches, fans will have access to highlights and related content throughout the season, providing additional opportunities to stay connected to Canadian players and their performances in UEFA competition.

-30-

About Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment
Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (formerly Canadian Soccer Business) 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, licensing, 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 Premier Soccer Leagues Canada.

About DAZN
DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, streams more than 150,000 live events annually and is available in over 200 markets worldwide. DAZN is the home of soccer, boxing and MMA, as well as the NFL Game Pass and NHL.TV internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more.  

Built on a highly scalable, cloud-based architecture, DAZN’s platform is purpose-built for sport. From latency-optimised streaming to adaptive delivery that optimises quality across devices and connectivity, DAZN delivers the highest-quality viewing experience at global scale. The platform integrates advanced data, hyper-personalisation, and AI-enabled features to enhance discovery, interactivity, and fan engagement. DAZN is an ecosystem of content, products, and features where fans can watch, play, buy and connect in real time.

DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. Fans can enjoy live and on-demand sports content anywhere and on any device – only on DAZN. The company partners with leading pay-TV operators, ISPs and Telcos worldwide to maximize sports exposure to a broad audience.   

DAZN is a global, privately owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 4,000 employees. For more information on DAZN, visit www.dazngroup.com   

About OneSoccer
OneSoccer is the dedicated home of soccer in Canada, broadcasting a suite of marquee Canadian soccer content such as: the Canadian Premier League, the TELUS Canadian Championship, and the home friendly matches of Canada Soccer’s Women’s and Men’s National Teams. It is also the exclusive home of Concacaf competitions in Canada, including the Concacaf Nations League Finals, the Concacaf Gold Cup, the Concacaf W Qualifiers, the Concacaf W Champions Cup Finals, and the Concacaf Champions Cup, as well as the home for all Bundesliga matches in Canada.  OneSoccer is available through the OneSoccer.ca website, via Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV devices and with the OneSoccer app for iOS and Android devices. It is also available as a linear channel on Optik TV (Ch. 980), the pay-TV service operated by TELUS, as well as on streaming service fuboTV Canada.

For more information, please contact:

Laura Armstrong
Vice President, Communications and Business Integration
Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment
laura.armstrong@cansme.ca 

Related Post

Scroll to Top

Costa Smyrniotis

Costa Smyrniotis is a senior Canadian soccer executive with more than 20 years of experience across the professional, developmental, and commercial sides of the game in Canada and internationally. His career spans league governance, club operations, player representation, and academy leadership, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the soccer ecosystem.

As Executive Vice President of the Canadian Premier League, Smyrniotis oversees sporting and business operations across Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment’s league portfolio, including the CPL and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada, the umbrella organization for Canada’s national pro-am competitions.

Previously, he served as Executive Vice President, Soccer, helping professionalize the league’s on-field product and strengthen its reputation in the global transfer market, increasing player movement and international recognition.

Prior to his league role, Smyrniotis spent five years as Director of Football and Business at Forge FC, building one of Canada’s most successful professional clubs. Earlier, he co-founded Sigma FC, built a leading player agency, and held senior business roles with multinational organizations.

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.