MLSE Purchases Argos

Looks like Rogers wants a piece of the pie.

https://twitter.com/TSNDaveNaylor/status/941059578082549761

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has an agreement to acquire the CFL’s [url=https://twitter.com/TorontoArgos]@TorontoArgos[/url]. Now in the fold with Raptors, Leafs, TFC and Marlins. Previously owned by Bell and Larry Tanenbaum, 2 of the 3 MLSE partners. [url=https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFL?src=hash]#CFL[/url] [url=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Argos?src=hash]#Argos[/url]

So Bell has sold the Argos to MLSE, anyone know why? What do you mean 2 of the 3 partners?

The Argos were owned by Bell + Larry Tannenbaum. MLSE is owned by Bell, Rogers, and Tannenbaum. This deal just gives Rogers a share of the ownership, and means that MLSE owns all the major Toronto teams except for the Blue Jays (who are rumored to be on the market).

Argos were owned by Bell and Larry Tananbaum earlier. MLSE is those 2 plus Rogers.

Huge news for the Argos and the entire CFL. Hopefully Rogers will get some content soon and having the 2 biggest telecommunication companies on board with the league is great news.

Well look at that, The Argos just became part of Toronto's sports teams.
It only took a 100 or so years! :o
Now they won't look at the CFL as Minor Leagues anymore. MLSE owns them.
Huge for the League, I have seen more coverage from Sportsnet than ever lately, now I know why!

MLSE doesn’t own the Toronto Rock, but I’ve heard they’re circling.

steve simmons?Verified account
[ltr]@simmonssteve[/ltr]
6m6 minutes ago
Randy Ambrosie on the sale of the Argos to MLSE: "This is a great day for the CFL...There is operational excellence inside MLSE."

Sunday Night Football, Here we come.

Long overdue. MLSE should have bought the team from old man Braley to begin with.
Now with some skin in the game, perhaps a bidding war for broadcast rights could be right around the corner?

The exact same situation might play out for the Jays on the horizon soon.

CFL News?
[ltr]@CFL_News[/ltr]
2m2 minutes ag
MLSE president and CEO Michael Friisdahl: "We look forward to building on the #Argos’ strong momentum as we welcome the team to the leading provider of sports and entertainment experiences in Canada." #CFL via @sportsnet

I do wonder if the TFC fanbase is going to freak out now and demand the Argos move the Lamport now?

Worked out well actually. Braley doesn’t get a penny from Rogers buying into the Argonauts.

This is excellent no question and I'm sure may spur the potential team in Halifax as well or maybe the other way around, Halifax coming on board may be very possible and Rogers sees this as a positive sign for the league. At any rate, I think something may be involved with the Blue Jays down the road as part of this deal ie. "future considerations" type of thing, who knows.

Or this could all be part of a future NFL team for Toronto and Rogers wants in on that as we know the NFL wants to see this as part of a CFL deal with the Argos.

Thanks for clarifying, I didn’t know much about MLSE until today. I guess letting Rogers back in can only benefit us with Bell and Tannenbaum in control. Opens up Sportsnet as a market, although I must say I still kinda hate Rogers for screwing the Argos over before and trying to hurt the CFL, it’s one of the reasons I don’t use them as a service provider :stuck_out_tongue:

But you have to put it into perspective as a business model, Rogers wanted to grab the Bills and had no business interest in the Argos. The Bills thing didn't happen and Rogers Centre went baseball only and the Bills are now out of the picture.

We shouldn't get too emotional about Rogers having a hate-on for the Argos and CFL sort of thing, it was just business with the league involved with BCE. I know, I know, I was emotional about it at one time and didn't like Rogers as well but in hindsight I let my emotions get the best of me and didn't realize business is business.

And don't worry about TFC, it's just a certain group of fans that will forever want the stadium to themselves, I get that, but this has no effect. TFC gets great fan support whether the Argos are playing there or not as we have seen. It's just not important or relevant what this special interest splinter group of TFC fans is shouting. If they don't support TFC there are cities waiting for MLS teams as we see with the Columbus to Austin potential move and cities waiting for an expansion franchise. But TFC fans are great and loyal and the fanbase will become larger regardless if the Argos continue to play at BMO. MLSE knows this.

For sure, I’m not really upset about it anymore. Bell and Tannenbaum did wonders already despite Rogers, albeit lots of work to do getting at least 7-9 thousand more butts in the seats. But Rogers made their bed, besides, their cell coverage sucks compared to Bell haha. Business may be business, but its my business to not support them now.

Business may be business, but its my business to not support them now.
Absolutely, we live in a generally free open market capitalist society, oh and democratic as well ;) of course, and we can choose how and where to spend our dollars. No question.

I’m also wondering if this will have any effect, positive, on the up and coming Canadian Premier League of soccer being spearheaded by Bob Young of the Cats I believe? Don’t know. Maybe alphamale might know something.

Aerial - Most of us don’t care about soccer. the half dozen that keep selling it on this forum keep coming back on the main pages with the same agenda.

Want to talk soccer, everyone welcome on the back pages as there is a thread there

On the surface, it appears to be a marriage made in sporting heaven, the local football team in lock step with the local futbol team all under the same roof.
And now, the Argonauts and Toronto FC, reigning Grey Cup and MLS Cup champions, respectively, will be under the same ownership umbrella.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which kicked the tires when previous owner David Braley had the for sale sign up on the Argos earlier this decade, is now all in, having agreed to buy the CFL franchise.
After announcing the pending agreement on Wednesday, possibilities are now endless for a team coming off an improbable title, not the least of which is selling the game via the many platforms owned by Rogers.
“Under its current ownership, a transformed Argonauts football club enhanced its presence and fan base in Canada’s largest sports market and ultimately marched to the CFL Championship,? Michael Friisdahl, MLSE president/CEO, said.

“We look forward to building on the Argos’ strong momentum as we welcome the team to the leading provider of sports and entertainment experiences in Canada.?
When Tim Leiweke served as MLSE president, the idea was to buy the Argos, move them into BMO and ensure the football team’s viability in a very crowded landscape.
The end-game, at the time anyway, was the NFL and the potential of bringing four-down football to coexist with the three-down version.

When Rogers balked, the Argos were sold to Bell and Larry Tanenbaum as the team quickly moved into BMO for the 2016 season, the same year the venue played host to the Grey Cup.
Rogers has no ties to the CFL, unlike Bell, which controls the entire TV pie through TSN.
It has always seemed to this observer that the unofficial policy at Rogers, and all of is media outlets and personalities, is to disparage the CFL at all costs, disregard all things Argos related unless it hurts the team’s brand.
That all changes now with Rogers now on board, a powerful media company that is sure to elevate the Argos’ profile, perhaps even convince soccer fans, which may not be so easy, that the Argos and TFC can exist side by side.
TFC will remain the main tenants at BMO, but something needs to get worked out that allows the Argos more access.
As of now, the only time the Argos have access to the facility is on game day.
What must happen is to provide the Argos with a more fan-friendly home schedule that is consistent, something the CFL can do to help grow the fan base.
Whether it’s ticketing, marketing, corporate sales, suite sales, MLSE has the wherewithal and clout to make the Argos vibrant and viable, or at least give three-down football its best chance of making some kind of dent in Toronto.
This should have happened two years ago, but it’s taken this long to get the official backing of MLSE and not simply two-thirds of its ownership.
It’s good news for the Argos, the CFL and for fans who enjoy football