The DAZN deal simply reflects the reality — that, in Canada, soccer is a sport better suited for digital streams than for traditional broadcasters.

But, where MLS has truly stumbled in Canada is in making itself a national concern. Basically, in this country, interest in the league is restricted to the three metro areas that have teams. The three Canadian MLS clubs have virtually no presence in the rest of Canada.

Despite solid attendance figures at Stade Saputo, BMO Field and BC Place, Major League Soccer’s TV numbers are trending downward. This year, they’re sliding further still. Why aren’t fans in the stands translating into large television numbers?

On Friday, when the Canadian Soccer Association announced the schedule for the 2016 Amway Canadian Championship, there was no mention of network television coverage.

Is FC Edmonton the wild card of coincidence when it comes to soccer in Canada?

The CSA says that it "is exploring broadcast avenues" for Canada Soccer as a whole, and is looking at ways to get the Canada/Dominica qualifiers in the air.

And the new system isn't as cut-and-dried for Canadian followers of the NASL as it is for those in the United States and the rest of the world.

“For us, this (changing the turf) would be massive,” said Fath. “Last year, we had live national broadcasts on Sportsnet 360, through our own production company, M31. And one of the biggest concerns Sportsnet had was the lines.”

The network, which didn’t broadcast a single TFC match outside of the Voyageurs’ Cup last season, is on for six MLS games in 2012.

So, when it comes to picking the year’s best stories, I let the numbers speak for themselves. I went back through the analytics and looked at the 11 stories you, the readers, kept reading and re-reading.