Thursday September 19, 2024
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 19, 2024
Link to animated version.
Rogers’ Acquisition Will Cement Its Control—But What About the Fans?
Rogers Communications’ push to consolidate its control over Toronto’s sports scene has many fans questioning the implications. If this deal goes through, Rogers will control a significant chunk of the city’s sports and entertainment landscape, with wide-ranging impacts that extend far beyond the stadiums. The move raises concerns about whether the company’s priorities lie with building winning teams or simply maximizing profits.
July 12, 2022
Rogers already owns 37.5% of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), which gives it partial control over the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), and Toronto FC (MLS). However, with this acquisition, Rogers is poised to increase its stake, potentially taking more ownership or influencing decisions over these teams and the venues they play in. MLSE alone is a massive conglomerate, responsible for the Leafs, Raptors, and Toronto FC, as well as the operations of Scotiabank Arena, BMO Field, and the OVO Athletic Centre, to name just a few.
Add to that Rogers’ full ownership of the Toronto Blue Jays and their home, the Rogers Centre, and you have a near-monopoly over the city’s professional sports franchises. Rogers’ influence on both the Blue Jays and MLSE effectively grants them a stranglehold over Toronto’s biggest sports markets. This means control over ticket prices, broadcasting rights, and merchandising—further commercializing what many fans already feel is an overly corporate sports scene.
News: Rogers buys BCE’s stake in MLSE for $4.7-billion
November 27, 2013
If the deal is approved, Rogers will join the ranks of the world’s largest sports and entertainment conglomerates. Globally, it will be positioned alongside other corporate giants like Comcast (which owns NBCUniversal, the Philadelphia Flyers, and part of the Philadelphia 76ers), Liberty Media (owner of Formula 1 and the Atlanta Braves), and Madison Square Garden Sports Corp (owners of the New York Knicks and Rangers). Rogers would become one of the most powerful sports owners on the planet, with reach into all major North American sports leagues except the NFL.
May 2, 2023
But what does this mean for fans? Many already feel that ticket prices, parking fees, and concessions are becoming prohibitive. Reader comments from a Toronto Star piece on the city’s sports scene highlight the frustration: “Paid $140 for a mediocre seat at a Jay’s game… with parking and minimal food and drink purchases, we still managed to spend close to a hundred bucks.” With Rogers now poised to gain even more control, fans fear that prices will continue to rise while the on-field product stagnates.
Toronto fans, already paying top dollar to watch teams that rarely deliver championships, worry that Rogers’ acquisition will push sports further into elitist territory. As one commenter put it, “The franchises become ever more elitist cashboxes.” It’s hard to shake the feeling that Rogers sees these teams as vehicles for profit rather than sources of pride for a city that craves a championship legacy.
March 19, 2021
Rogers’ track record with the Blue Jays is far from reassuring. As one Star reader pointed out, the Blue Jays are seen as a “marketing circus” rather than a serious baseball contender. Despite having one of the top payrolls in Major League Baseball, the Jays remain a middling team, unable to capitalize on their resources and fan support. Similar concerns loom over the Raptors and Leafs, who, despite their market size and wealth, have consistently fallen short of their potential.
This acquisition cements Rogers as one of the most powerful forces in sports. The question now is whether this dominance will be used to deliver championships or simply to maximize profits. Toronto fans, who have been let down time and time again, have every reason to be cynical. Until the focus shifts from corporate gain to winning on the field, the city’s sports scene will remain a frustrating landscape of high costs and low returns. For a city that deserves better, this acquisition feels like more of the same. (AI)
