:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/35VELFMHBVEBFDIDWDINSR34LM.jpg)
Construction workers take a break to watch World Cup soccer action between Italy and Paraguay on a public video screen in Toronto on June 14, 2010.Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
Back in 2011, when Bell Media beat out CBC/Radio-Canada for the broadcasting rights to the FIFA World Cup, the odds of a Canadian team qualifying for the 2022 edition of soccer’s premier tournament were not so strong.
After all, Canada had not participated in a men’s World Cup since 1986. But surging interest in soccer here persuaded BCE Inc.’s media unit that it was worth outbidding the public broadcaster, which had held the rights to FIFA events for several years.
That turns out to have been a smart move. Soccer madness has skyrocketed in the country since then. And with revved-up Canadian fans salivating at the prospect of finally watching a homegrown team vie for the cup, Bell Media’s pricey bet now appears set to pay off – big time.
The fickle fan’s guide to Qatar 2022
Seven of the world’s best soccer players to watch in the 2022 World Cup
“Advanced advertising for the upcoming FIFA World Cup is exceeding our expectations with revenues already up 50 per cent from the 2018 World Cup,” BCE chief financial officer Glen LeBlanc boasted on a Nov. 3 conference call with analysts. “This success is a testament to the massive popularity and value advertisers place on premium sporting events.”
It is also a testimony to the willingness of sponsors and broadcasters alike to put profits before principles – at least for as long as they can get away with it.
This year’s World Cup has been steeped in controversy from the moment FIFA chose Qatar as its host country in 2010. Soccer’s governing body has been beset by a series of corruption scandals, casting doubt on the process that led to its choice of the Persian Gulf emirate in the first place.
Human-rights groups have denounced the treatment of migrant workers Qatar brought in to build the infrastructure to accommodate more than a million visitors during the month-long World Cup. A Guardian investigation last year found that more than 6,500 migrant workers died in the country between 2011 and 2020, amid widespread reports of unsafe working conditions on World Cup-related construction projects.
The emirate’s ban on homosexuality and its egregious record on women’s rights have raised concerns, too. Calls for a boycott have proliferated, especially in Europe, where several major cities (including Paris and Berlin) have refused to organize World Cup viewing parties for their soccer-mad citizens, as they did in the past. Many bars are also refusing to screen games.
How has Bell Media reacted to all the controversy? So far, by ignoring it.
It has, however, launched a glitzy advertising campaign to promote World Cup coverage on TSN and its French-language sports network, RDS. It even commissioned a theme song (a version of The Beatles hit, Come Together) to “further ignite Canadians’ excitement for this event.”
Forgive us if we don’t exactly feel the urge to sing along.
To be fair, Bell Media is hardly the only broadcaster to put its bottom line first, human rights be damned. After all, Canada’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s human-rights abuses did not stop the CBC from milking the event for financial gain. The public broadcaster even boasted in latest annual report that advertising revenues from the games “proved more robust than expected.”
Canadian World Cup viewers will not be entirely free from being exposed to the event’s unseemly side.
“Within TSN’s coverage, CTV News will provide on-site reports focused on significant news stories surrounding the tournament, including human rights issues,” Bell Media said in an e-mailed response to questions about its coverage.
Still, who’s kidding whom? Bell Media is not going to jeopardize its investment in the World Cup by encouraging viewers to feel morally conflicted about the event. Not when this World Cup is shaping up to be its most lucrative yet.
While the Super Bowl is usually the single most-watched sports event every year – the 2022 edition drew an average audience of 8.1 million viewers on CTV, TSN and RDS – it lasts only a few hours. The World Cup stretches over four weeks and 64 games.
In 2018, Bell Media said World Cup games broadcast on CTV, TSN and RDS drew a total of 25.8 million viewers. Bell Media should easily surpass viewership numbers from four years ago. Should Canada advance beyond the first round of the tournament, there is no telling how much money the broadcaster could make.
After 36 years without a Canadian team in the World Cup, no one can begrudge fans their enthusiasm. But no one should forget on whose backs Bell Media is profiting, either.
