Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Media Studies

Supervisor

Robinson, Daniel

Abstract

In April 2019, the Canadian Premier League (CPL), a professional domestic soccer league, launched in Canada, making it the first top-tier league in North America to begin operations in the modern digital era. The CPL represents a unique and timely opportunity to examine how a new professional sports league cultivates ties with fan-consumers via sport nationalism, digital media, and fandom. As yet, there are very few academic works on the CPL, and there is also a paucity of scholarly publications on the launch of new professional sports leagues in the 21st century. For this study, two types of qualitative data were collected: semi-structured interviews with league officials and voices on the Canadian soccer scene; and various primary and secondary sources, most often news articles, along with works on sports sociology and marketing. Despite soccer’s status as the “global game,” Canadian sport nationalism has historically revolved around hockey. While professional soccer leagues in Canada have largely failed in the past, several key factors—changing national demographics, high rates of youth participation in soccer, and groups of willing investors—have altered the landscape, contributing to the formation of the CPL. As traditional television and sports viewing shifts towards streaming providers, the CPL’s presence on OneSoccer, a digital platform, endows it with increased authenticity and a more loyal following, particularly as the league is targeting younger “digital natives.” Supporters’ groups, which enrich fan culture and engagement, are also a key ingredient of the upstart league. The CPL is being promoted as an authentic Canadian product, as seen with team names reflecting local or regional identities and Canadian player quotas that enhance the league’s national bone fides on the pitch.

Summary for Lay Audience

For decades, Canada was the biggest economy in the world without a top-tier, national professional soccer league. But the launch of the Canadian Premier League (CPL), an exclusively Canadian professional soccer league, in April 2019 made it the first top-tier sports league in North America to begin operations in the modern digital era. The CPL represents a unique and timely opportunity to examine how a new professional sports league cultivates ties with fan-consumers via sport nationalism, digital media, and fandom. There are relatively few academic publications on the formation of professional sports leagues (old and new), and there are even fewer scholarly works on the CPL. Despite being the world’s most popular sport, soccer has traditionally taken a back seat to hockey in the Canadian sporting scene. While professional soccer leagues in Canada have generally struggled in the past, several key factors—changing national demographics, high rates of youth participation in soccer, and groups of willing investors—have altered the landscape, contributing to the formation of the CPL. As traditional television and sports viewing shifts towards streaming providers, the CPL’s presence on OneSoccer, a digital platform, endows it with increased authenticity and a more loyal following, particularly as the league is targeting a younger audience. Supporters’ groups, which enrich fan culture and engagement, are also a key component of the upstart league. The CPL is being promoted as an authentic Canadian product, as seen with team names reflecting local or regional identities, and domestic player quotas that give the league a strong, distinct Canadian flavour.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS