CBC/Radio-Canada strikes multi-year deal to broadcast, stream Northern Super League games

Canadian soccer fans and CBC Sports viewers will have a chance to quickly familiarize themselves with players and teams of the Northern Super League during its inaugural season, starting next April.

CBC/Radio-Canada has entered a multi-year partnership with the women's professional soccer league, along with TSN/RDS. Matches will be shown to CBC viewers across the national network and across its digital platforms — CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports App and CBC Gem, with Radio-Canada providing French-language coverage.

"The broadcasters are so important. We're a new product, a new league," NSL chief executive office and co-founder Diana Matheson told Heather Hiscox of CBC News Network on Tuesday morning. "We're not coming in with a built-in fanbase but we know upwards of 20 million Canadians are fans of women's sport in some capacity, and we have to get in front of eye balls."

"Ensuring our matches are available to Canadians is key to the long-term growth and viability of professional women's soccer," Matheson added in a released statement.

"Our players have been behind the scenes for too long. [This coverage] is a huge win for fans and creates a lasting impact on women's sport in this country."

CBC/Radio-Canada will also produce and promote NSL news and content, with the much-anticipated first-season schedule and broadcast schedule to be announced later.

WATCH | Matheson announces multi-year broadcast deal with CBC/Radio-Canada:

Franchises in Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax and Calgary will open with a 25-game schedule followed by playoffs and a national championship in the fall of 2025.

Teams are expected to operate with an initial salary cap of $1.5 million for 20 to 25 players on a roster, with a $50,000