It was a privilege to have attended the first ever League1 Canada Converge Conference, this past weekend in Cambridge, ON. The two-day event brought together representatives from the four regional semi-pro soccer leagues across the country in a setting designed to give attendees actionable tools, strategic insights and meaningful connections. The aim of the conference: … More Converge 2025
Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny have set the bar for celebrity soccer ownership as Wrexham AFC earned a double promotion over the past two years to rise from the fifth-tier National League to play in the third-tier English League One next season. TV personalities Mark Consuelos and his wife, Kelly Ripa, have tasted success … More Canadian latest celebrity owner to steer European soccer club towards promotion
A program devoted to the business of sports currently streaming at Itoc Italian on the Itoc Media network. On this limited bi-weekly series, we’ll examine how business owners in the Canadian sports industry faced the challenges posed by Covid-19 and how they’ve been able to mitigate the financial damage and project towards a positive path … More Sport$trategies: The Podcast
Last weekend, Major League Soccer kicked off its 25th anniversary season with two new franchises bringing the total number of teams to 26. The 25th season is also the first year with a new collective bargaining agreement in place. MLS and the league’s players’ association agreed to the new CBA just last month. The new … More Major League Soccer’s new CBA ensures players will reap benefits of league’s future growth
There was a time in the late 20th century when the Italian soccer league (Serie A) was the go-to destination for some of the world’s elite talent. Since those heady days, however, Serie A has been surpassed in terms of playing talent, and global appeal, by other top flight divisions across Europe, none more so … More Serie A soccer in need of a “transformation”, says new Italian league President
James Pallotta is on the verge of selling his majority stake in the capital city club to the Friedkin Group … More Friedkin Group: The Emergence of a New, More Resourceful Serie A Owner
At Toronto FC’s annual season ending media availability at the MLS club’s training ground in north Toronto, player after player looked despondent as they were asked to reflect on the team’s shootout loss to Seattle Sounders in the MLS Cup final before over 36,000 fans at BMO Field a mere 60 hours earlier. But as … More The Business of Winning is Number One Priority for Toronto FC
When Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment made the decision in 2014 to pursue a $150M two-year, two-phase expansion and redevelopment of Toronto’s BMO Field, it was with the hope that the new-look stadium would host significant sporting events that would impact in a positive way on the overall fan experience. I don’t believe even MLSE’s … More Revamped BMO Field Showcased as Preeminent Canadian Sports Destination
A new sports survey, commissioned by the highly respected US publication, SportsBusiness Journal, has found soccer fans to be the most dedicated and engaged supporters among seven major North American professional sports leagues and American college sports. The goal of the “Sports Fan and Engagement Study”, released by Simmons Research, was to give clients an … More New Study Shows Soccer Supporters Most Engaged Sports Fans
Three prominent Canadian sports executives were in the news this week for leading initiatives that could develop into lucrative partnerships and help establish significant legacies within their respective organizations. Arizona Coyotes President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc of Thunder Bay, ON, has reached an agreement with Arizona State University to develop a new sports complex east … More Canadian Sports Executives Head up Game-changing Initiatives
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