FuboTV lands the Canadian rights to EPL
But fans criticize the fact they will now have to pay for yet another television streaming service
English Premier League soccer has a new broadcast home in Canada.
FuboTV, a sports and entertainment streaming service, announced Thursday it has secured exclusive Canadian rights to the EPL — 380 matches per year — for the next three seasons, starting this summer.
DAZN had held those rights since 2019, which marked a significant shift at the time after years on TSN and Sportsnet.
“This is obviously a top-tier sports property with a ton of audience in Canada,” said fuboTV vice-president of marketing Vanessa Morbi.
Financial terms were not disclosed, and the company declined to provide details about its Canadian viewership.
In the United States, the EPL — in English and Spanish — airs on NBC. The network retained those rights in November for more than $2.7 billion (U.S.) over six years, The Associated Press reported.
FuboTV, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, also operates in the U.S., France and Spain. Morbi said it started looking at Canada last year.
Last August, the company acquired exclusive English-language rights to Italy’s Serie A in Canada, as well as Coppa Italia. It also has partnerships with OneSoccer (which carries France’s Ligue 1), Canada’s national teams, the Canadian Premier League, MLB Network and entertainment channels Law and Crime and Paramount Network.
The Premier League will be the crown jewel of that package, but the switch from DAZN — which is reportedly nearing an $800-million deal of its own to acquire Britain’s BT Sport, including EPL and UEFA Champions League rights in the United Kingdom and Ireland — drew criticism on social media from some Canadian soccer fans who aren’t eager to pay for yet another streaming service, and question whether game coverage is being stretched too thin across multiple platforms, to the detriment of the sport in Canada.
FuboTV currently costs $14.99 per month, $29.99 for three months or $99.99 annually.
To access every match involving an English Premier League team next season, viewers would have to subscribe to fuboTV for league games; DAZN for Champions League, Europa League and Carabao Cup; and Sportsnet for FA Cup.
Germany’s Bundesliga, the FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Champions League are also among the properties on those three carriers.
TSN has Major League Soccer and Spain’s La Liga.
Morbi said any decision to spread out broadcast rights is made by the leagues themselves.
“While we don’t certainly have everything, we are looking to be more of a one-stop shop for consumers … this is a bit of a return to bundling, supported by current technology,” she said.