The Intercounty Baseball League has relaunched as the fully professional Canadian Baseball League after a surge in popularity that drew nearly 250,000 fans in 2025.
The league says its talent pool has deepened in recent years, with dozens of players bringing Major or Minor League experience and several moving on to MLB rosters.
Beginning in 2026, the CBL will expand its regular season to 48 games and introduce a tightened playoff format featuring a single-elimination matchup between the fourth and fifth seeded teams, before two best-of-seven rounds.
Fans will also see expanded streaming options, with games available on YouTube as well asRoku, FireTV, Apple TV, iOS and Android apps.
League officials say they will continue preserving the century-long history of the former IBL through ongoing research and archival work.
The Welland Jackfish have won the IBL Championship twice in their history, in 2023 and 2025. During the 2025 season, the Jackfish broke their franchise record with over 61,000 fans throughout the season. Additionally, the team says it had over 125,000 views on Youtube for games, as well as nearly $100,000 raised for charity.
(Written by: Matt Latour)