In Wednesday's announcement of the Canadian Premier League's new expansion club, FC Supra du Québec, Canadian Soccer Business CEO James Johnson spoke at the unveiling and dropped a major—yet somewhat hidden—update.

"We know that in 2026, we start the year where both the CPL—all our games—and the national team games—that we broadcast—will be on linear," said the Australian executive.

It’s a breakthrough the league has been chasing since its inception and would be a game-changer for Canadian soccer. Despite growth in streaming, cable TV remains the most common way people watch sports in the country, and the CPL has long struggled to secure a consistent presence on it. Having every match available on linear television would give the league and its clubs unprecedented visibility heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

OneSoccer, the league’s broadcast partner since its inaugural season, has been locked in a legal battle with Rogers for more than three years, with Rogers blocking OneSoccer from being shown on its linear TV platforms.

In late July, the CRTC ruled that OneSoccer is effectively owned, operated, and controlled by the Canadian company Timeless. As a result, both Rogers and OneSoccer were directed to submit updated proposed remedies to address the finding of undue preference and disadvantage by no later than August 11, 2025.

Whether this results in OneSoccer finally being carried on cable TV, or the Canadian Premier League landing on another major channel such as TSN, remains to be seen.

What is clear, however, is that the CPL’s long struggle to secure a place on cable television is nearing its end.