- Rogers has closed its C$4.35 billion purchase of Kilmer Sports’ 25 percent stake in MLSE
- The company is folding the Leafs, Raptors and Blue Jays into one new unit
- Read below for what changes at the top and who stays in charge
The Maple Leafs now have one owner.
Rogers Communications announced Thursday that it has completed its purchase of the remaining 25 percent of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment from Larry Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Sports for C$4.35 billion. That takes Rogers to 100 percent of MLSE, the group behind the Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC and Argonauts.
Thursday was the finish line on a deal Rogers agreed to back in July.
What comes next is the bigger news. Rogers is creating a new business unit called Rogers Sports, which puts MLSE, the Blue Jays and the company’s media properties under one roof. Keith Pelley stays on as MLSE’s president and CEO and picks up added responsibility for Rogers Media right away. Mark Shapiro remains in charge of the Blue Jays.
Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri addressed fans in the company’s statement and made a familiar promise about spending:
“We know how much these teams mean to fans and we are fully committed to investing to build championship-calibre teams, to enhancing the fan experience, and to delivering compelling experiences for our customers,” Staffieri said.
Executive chair Edward Rogers talked about the weight of owning every major team in the city. “Sports fans invest more than their money into their teams, they invest their time, passion and dreams,” he said. “Their investment is personal and so is our responsibility.”
The company first got into MLSE in 2012, when it and Bell bought the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s stake. It bought out Bell’s half of that partnership in 2025 for C$4.7 billion, and this deal closes out Tanenbaum’s piece.
The Canadian Press’ Sammy Hudes noted the company still plans to sell minority stakes in its combined sports and media portfolio, which Rogers values at more than $25 billion, by the first half of 2027:
That money is earmarked for paying down debt. So outside investors could own a slice of the Leafs again before long, just not through MLSE directly.
None of this touches the Leafs’ day-to-day hockey operations, at least for now. Rogers says the plan is championships, and that’s the only measure Toronto fans will use on the new owner.
