Soccer Zone was recently launched by Roku to help Canadians more easily discover live FIFA World Cup soccer content across streaming platforms.
It’s the world’s biggest soccer tournament with matches in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
With the tournament getting into the quarter-finals, Roku shared some early insights into how Canadians are using the platform, and what it says about changing sports viewing habits.
In the first two weeks following the launch (June 11–25):
- One in five visitors went beyond browsing to stream content directly through Soccer Zone
- The average streaming session exceeded one hour, highlighting strong viewer engagement
Most-streamed matches:
- Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Canada vs. Qatar
- USA vs. Paraguay
As Canadians continue following the tournament, the data suggests fans are increasingly looking for a simpler way to find live sports across multiple streaming services. and once they do, they’re staying engaged.
In an interview with Retail Insider, Ivan Pehar, Ad Sales Director for Canada at Roku, shared his thoughts on the Soccer Zone.
Question: What has surprised Roku most about Canadians’ early adoption of Soccer Zone, and what do these usage patterns reveal about changing sports viewing habits?
Answer: What stood out most was how quickly Canadians began using Soccer Zone as part of their tournament viewing. In the first two weeks alone, more than one million individuals visited the hub, which shows there is strong demand for a simpler way to follow live sports in a streaming environment.
What’s especially encouraging is the behaviour we’re seeing once viewers arrive. Fans aren’t just browsing; one in five streamed content directly through Soccer Zone. That tells us Canadians are looking for a more intuitive path from discovery to viewing, especially when live sports content is spread across different services.
Q: How does Soccer Zone address the challenge of sports content being fragmented across multiple streaming platforms, and why is that important for viewers?
A: Sports fans want to watch the match, they don’t want to spend time figuring out which app or service has it. Soccer Zone was built to make that easier by bringing together key tournament information in one destination, including where to watch, when to watch and how to get into the action.
The experience also includes features like a live scoreboard, top scorer leaderboard, and soccer-related films and documentaries, so it’s not just about finding a single match. It’s a more complete tournament hub that helps fans stay connected before, during and after the game.
Q: The average streaming session exceeded one hour. What does that level of engagement tell you about how fans are discovering and consuming live sports through connected TV?
A: An average streaming session of more than an hour tells us viewers are leaning in once they find the content they want. This is not passive browsing; it’s meaningful engagement with live sports through connected TV.
For us, that reinforces the importance of reducing friction. When fans can move more easily from discovery to streaming, they are more likely to stay engaged. It also shows how connected TV is becoming an increasingly natural home for major live sports moments in Canada.
Q: How do you expect major live sporting events to influence streaming behaviour in Canada over the long term, beyond this tournament?
A: Major live sporting events have a way of accelerating viewer habits. As more Canadians use streaming to follow events like this, expectations around ease of access, navigation and content discovery will continue to rise.
Over the long term, we believe viewers will expect streaming platforms to do more than simply host apps. They’ll expect an experience that helps them find what’s live, understand what’s coming up and move seamlessly into the content they care about. That shift will continue well beyond this tournament.
Q: Based on the early success of Soccer Zone, what are Roku’s plans to expand or evolve the platform for future sports events and other live programming?
A: The early response to Soccer Zone validates the importance of making live content easier to discover. While Soccer Zone was created specifically for this summer’s tournament, it also reflects Roku’s broader commitment to helping viewers discover the content they care about through engaging experiences around major cultural and sporting moments.
We’re actively working with leagues and content owners to bring additional experiences to the platform. Later this summer, Soccer Zone will transition into a permanent Sports Zone, creating an always-on destination for sports fans, with more Zones to come. We’re excited about continuing to build experiences that make it faster and easier for viewers to find the live sports and entertainment they love.
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