The Globe and Mail, Canada Soccer and Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment Announce Multi-Year Partnership

The Globe and Mail, Canada Soccer and Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment Announce Multi-Year Partnership

The Globe and Mail named an Official National Media Partner of Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League through 2027, and Exclusive Newspaper Partner of Canada Soccer House

Toronto, ON – June 10, 2026 – Canada Soccer and Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment (CSME) and The Globe and Mail today announced a multi-year partnership that will see The Globe and Mail become an Official and National Media Partner of Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League.

The collaboration brings together organizations that play important roles in Canada’s media, sports and cultural landscape at a time when soccer is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the national conversation.

“As soccer continues to capture the attention of Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast, we’re proud to collaborate with The Globe and Mail, one of the country’s most respected national media organizations,” said Dominic Martin, Director, Marketing, Canada Soccer. “Their longstanding reputation for meaningful storytelling makes them an ideal partner to help elevate the stories of our players, supporters, and sport. Together, we have an opportunity to connect with Canadians in new ways and further grow the game’s impact across the country during a defining period for soccer in Canada.”

The partnership will leverage the respective platforms and audiences of all three organizations to engage Canadians and support the continued growth of soccer across the country.

“Canadian soccer is entering an exciting period of growth and opportunity,” said Michael Beckerman, Chief Commercial Officer, Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment. “Partnerships like this help ensure the stories, people and moments shaping the game are reaching audiences across the country. We are proud to welcome The Globe and Mail as a partner as we continue building soccer’s place in Canada’s sporting and cultural conversation.”

As part of the partnership, The Globe and Mail will also become the Official and Exclusive Newspaper Partner of Canada Soccer House. 

GE Canada Soccer House Toronto at the Harbourfront Centre and UberEats Canada Soccer House North Vancouver at The Shipyards will serve as a destination for Canadian soccer fans on select dates from June 11 to July 7, featuring watch parties, live entertainment and interactive experiences designed to bring supporters together and celebrate the game. Additional information and event details are available at canadasoccerhouse.ca.

“Few things unite Canadians quite like sport, and soccer is emerging as one of the defining stories of our time,” said Sean Humphrey, Vice-President, Marketing, Product & Digital Experience, The Globe and Mail. 

“As Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail is committed to helping Canadians better understand the people, moments and movements shaping our country. We’re proud to partner with Canada Soccer and Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment during this exciting period of growth, helping bring the stories of the game to audiences across the country while celebrating the passion, diversity and community that make Canadian soccer so compelling.”

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About the Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is Canada’s foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With our award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.5 million readers every week in our print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2.8 million readers in print and digital. Our investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family. To learn more, visit www.globeandmail.com.

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. For more details on Canada Soccer, visit the official website at www.canadasoccer.com.

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 Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is Canada’s Tier 1 domestic men’s professional soccer league, provides a national platform for Canadian players to compete at the highest level on home soil and gain exposure on the global stage, contributing to the long-term growth of Canadian soccer domestically and internationally. As part of Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment’s league portfolio, which also includes Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (PSLC), the CPL brings high-quality professional soccer to communities from coast to coast and competes in Concacaf- and FIFA-sanctioned competitions.

For more information, please contact:

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

Paulo Senra
Chief Communications Officer
Canada Soccer
psenra@canadasoccer.com

Theresa Deu-Ngoc
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
The Globe and Mail
tdeungoc@globeandmail.com

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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.