Canada Soccer, CONCACAF officials defend controversial Canadian Soccer Business deal at MP committee

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and former Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis have defended Canada Soccer's controversial deal with Canadian Soccer Business, telling a parliamentary committee Thursday that the contract provided the governing body with more guaranteed revenue that it had received previously.

Montagliani said that before the CSB agreement there was "absolutely no domestic media market" for national team games and Canada Soccer had to spend its own money to showcase national team games on TV.

Under the deal, the CSB took charge of sponsorship and broadcast rights in exchange for an annual payment to Canada Soccer. Critics say the agreement is too rigid, too long and doesn't allow for Canada Soccer to benefit from the recent success of the men's and women's national teams.

Bontis, meanwhile, said he has reached out to apologize to captain Christine Sinclair, who testified she was offended by his language during recent labour talks.

Bontis resigned as president last month.

The hearing was the third by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage into the ongoing labour dispute involving Canada Soccer and its national teams.