CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
TSN takes a bite into the MLS, with a move out of their old playbook, buying into the MLS and teams like Toronto FC.

As the 100th Grey Cup was awarded in late November, we were reminded of a humble league that has made a great name for Canadian football. People are very rarely reminded of a time when the league was on the verge of folding, but now it's flourishing on cable television with TSN.

People are also very rarely reminded that TSN has exclusive rights to the league. From the opener to the Grey Cup, 'Canada's Sports Leader' (their moniker is also true as it's the most popular) runs with the content. The thing is, TSN is making lots of money doing this. They bought the longterm rights for cheap, and have factored it into the Canadian sports landscape with their coverage of it.

It's simple: what TSN does greatly affects what sports fans see as important. CFL usually runs at the top of their sportscasts in the summer, but should we put it above baseball or any other sport?

I'll let you decide on that one, but the point is, TSN collected this tactic from their part owners in the U.S., ESPN. Now, this works for ESPN much better, as they don't have nearly as tough a media landscape to beat out. ESPN did this with hockey not too long ago, and now, without an ESPN/ABC deal, the sport is considered an afterthought in the States.

Recently, TSN picked up Major League Soccer rights in this country. It's currently mostly playing on TSN 2, but it's certainly a start to have that kind of coverage.

And right now, it makes sense.

The MLS has a big enough fan base to make it seem like it's not a complete wash, but it has a long way to go. The league has famously been commenting on how great the network has been for them from past broadcasters, yet Sportsnet — and even CBC — picked up Toronto FC games in 2007 when it was hard to tell if they would have any fans at all show up. But to the MLS, TSN has been 'great.'

Just as CFL was, the MLS was a cheap pickup for the network. Even though there was competition from others, a soccer league in this country is never going to be too expensive a contract to sign. However, foreign soccer is a different story. The network signed a massive deal to share games in the English Premier League with Sportsnet. The price tag wasn't disclosed, but the new $250 million deal signed in the U.S. for the same rights was, and that's three times what it was before the turn of the decade.

TSN could be getting a bit foreign to couple with their cheap local content, or the other way around. Regardless, the league could be pushed up in sportscasts everywhere.