Rogers has bought out the remaining shares of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) from Kilmer Sports for $4.35 billion, giving it 100% ownership, MobileSyrup reports.
That puts all of this under one roof:
| MLSE | Already at Rogers |
|---|---|
| Maple Leafs and Marlies | Blue Jays |
| Raptors and Raptors 905 | Rogers Centre |
| Toronto FC and Argonauts | Sportsnet |
| Scotiabank Arena | 30+ TV networks, 40 radio stations |
Rogers is creating a new unit, Rogers Sports, to run its sports, media and entertainment businesses together. MLSE CEO Keith Pelley also takes over Rogers Media, and Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro stays in his role. CEO Tony Staffieri says Rogers is “fully committed to investing to build championship-calibre teams.”
Why it matters: Your phone company now owns most of Toronto’s pro sports, the arenas they play in, and the network that broadcasts them. That’s leverage over sports rights and pricing. Since the first stake, Rogers has raised Sportsnet+ prices, shut several radio stations and cut customer service staff. Fans and wireless customers will want to see who benefits from the synergies.
