CFL LANDS RECORD-BREAKING MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL
The Canadian Football League has secured the largest media rights agreement in its history, signing a series of six-year deals with Bell Media, DAZN and YouTube that league officials believe will reshape how the sport is consumed both in Canada and internationally. The agreements begin with the 2027 season and run through 2032.
While financial details were not officially disclosed, multiple Canadian reports have indicated the combined package is worth approximately C$500m over six years, significantly exceeding the value of the league’s current agreement with TSN. The deal keeps Bell Media at the centre of the CFL’s domestic coverage, with TSN continuing as the league’s primary English-language broadcaster, carrying 60 regular season games, six playoff contests and the Grey Cup, while RDS retains French-language rights. Bell Media will also distribute games across CTV and Crave, extending the league’s reach beyond traditional sports television audiences.
“This is a transformative agreement for the future of the CFL in Canada,” said CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston. “Our league would not be where it is today without our long history of partnership and support with Bell Media. With their unrivalled scale and reach, we have delivered the game to fans from across Canada, igniting a burning passion for Canadian football. We look forward to building upon these foundations to reach new heights together.”
The most significant change, perhaps, comes from the addition of DAZN, which will become a major rights holder for the first time. Beginning in 2027, the streaming platform will exclusively carry a Saturday night game each week, giving it roughly a quarter of the CFL’s regular season inventory. The agreement also strengthens the league’s international distribution strategy at a time when sports properties increasingly view streaming platforms as critical growth partners.
YouTube has also been brought into the package as a ‘Premier Platform Partner’, reflecting the CFL’s desire to reach younger audiences and grow its digital footprint worldwide. Together, the Bell Media, DAZN and YouTube agreements form what the league describes as a ‘new global media strategy’, and the timing is significant.
The CFL entered the final year of its existing television agreement facing uncertainty over how it would compete in an increasingly fragmented media environment. Traditional broadcasters remain crucial to the league’s business model, but streaming platforms have become an increasingly important source of rights revenue across the sports industry. The new package also arrives amid a broader escalation in the value of sports rights across North America. Canadian broadcasters and streaming services have been competing aggressively for premium live content, highlighted by Rogers Communications’ recent C$11bn extension of its NHL rights agreement. While the CFL operates on a vastly different financial scale, securing a record-breaking package during a period of intense competition for sports content is a notable achievement for the league.
The agreements also align with a series of structural changes that will debut in 2027, including a season that begins on Victoria Day weekend and an expanded playoff format featuring four additional postseason games. Those changes increase the amount of inventory available to broadcasters and streamers while creating additional marquee events for advertisers and sponsors.
For the CFL, the deal represents more than a financial win. After years of questions regarding the league’s long-term media future, Stewart Johnston’s first major rights negotiation as commissioner has delivered both stability and expanded distribution. The challenge now will be turning that increased exposure into audience growth.