Mediapro Sits at the Center of OneSoccer’s Production of Canada-Mexico FIFA World Cup Qualifier

OneSoccer will carry out its biggest-ever production of a live sports event in Canada on Nov. 15 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, where it will produce live coverage of Canada Soccer’ Men’s National Team’s key qualifying match against Mexico in the CONCACAF Final Round of FIFA World Cup QatarTM Qualifiers for broadcasters in Canada, the USA and Mexico, as well as for multiple rights-holders worldwide.

Close to 100 professionals, working with three Outside Broadcast trucks, will produce live coverage of the match for domestic and international broadcasters, using a total of 28 cameras including two Super Slo-Mo cameras. In Canada, the match will be aired live on OneSoccer, which is available as a linear channel on Telus Optik TV (Ch. 980) – one of Canada’s ‘big three’ pay-TV platforms – as well as through the fuboTV Canada streaming platform and the OneSoccer app. The match will also will be broadcast live on Rogers Sportsnet and French-language broadcaster RDS.

OneSoccer will be providing technical and production services for multiple networks in the USA and Mexico in response to heightened interest in the match south of the border – as those three national teams battle for a top-three spot in the standings and an automatic berth in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

OneSoccer will provide an on-site studio panel hosted by award-winning broadcaster Andi Petrillo, alongside pundits Oliver Platt and Kristian Jack. Play-by-play commentary will be provided by expert duo Gareth Wheeler and former Canadian international Terry Dunfield (English) and Matt Cullen (French).

“OneSoccer has been a driving force behind the explosive growth in popularity of the Canadian game over the past two years, providing extensive coverage of the national teams, the Canadian Premier League and other Canadian tournaments, to the extent that fully 85% of the coverage on the channel is Canadian content,” says Oscar López, CEO of Mediapro Canada

Support for the Canadian men in Edmonton, the hometown of national team star Alphonso Davies, has been electric – nearly 49,000 fans filled the stands for last Friday’s qualifier against Costa Rica, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Canada, and a full house of 50,000 is expected for tomorrow’s match against Mexico.

“It has been exciting and challenging to work with my team in Canada and with my Mediapro colleagues around the world to produce the biggest soccer match in Canada this year – coordinating a 28-camera shoot, multiple live feeds, nearly two hours of pre- and post-game and half-time shows, a live on-site studio panel and sub-zero temperatures as we endeavor to deliver the best-possible show to all our rights holders, in Canada and abroad,” says Alba Campabadal, VP OneSoccer and Head of Production.

Canada is now considered a strong candidate to earn one of the three automatic berths for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Canadian men are the only unbeaten team in the tournament at the half-way point, with three wins and four draws; and following their 1-0 win over Costa Rica last week, they remain in third place in the standings, just one point behind the US and Mexico. Canada last qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1986.