Moneyball: Assessing the Financial Impact of the Blue Jays’ Near World Series Triumph on Rogers Communications
By Garry Marr, Financial Post – November 7, 2025
The Blue Jays reached the 2025 World Series. They battled hard and lost Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This race meant more than a chance for a title. It changed how investors view Rogers Communications Inc. The company is Canada’s largest telecommunications firm and owns the Blue Jays. Rogers now sees that each close link between performance and profit matters.
Rogers’ Sports Holdings: A Valuable Sports Empire
Rogers holds two big sports assets. One is a 75% share in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE). MLSE owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), the Toronto Raptors (NBA), and Toronto FC (MLS). The other is a full 100% interest in the Blue Jays (MLB). Rogers’ CEO Tony Staffieri recently set the worth of these assets at over $15 billion. In a report, the National Bank of Canada valued the MLSE teams at about US$10.2 billion. The Raptors were at US$5.22 billion and the Maple Leafs at US$4.25 billion. Toronto FC was valued at US$730 million. The Blue Jays were pegged at US$2.39 billion. Their value grew five percent in just one year. This was before their striking playoff run.
Playing for Keeps: Preparing for a Public Offering
Rogers plans to own all of MLSE soon. The company will buy the remaining 25% share from Larry Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Group in about 18 months. Rogers then wants to spin off its sports assets into a public company. Investors who care about sports may find this plan attractive. The Blue Jays’ playoff push has lifted interest among fans in Toronto and across Canada. This surge boosts ticket sales, merchandise, and media attention. These benefits support Rogers’ goal to raise the sports business’s market value before it goes public.
The Financial Upside of Playoff Performance
A World Series title would have brought extra cash, but the playoff run still carries big rewards. In Major League Baseball, gate receipts help both players and teams. Every extra day in a full best-of-seven series moves revenue closer to the team. The players share half of the receipts from Wild Card games. They then get 60% for early playoff rounds and four games in the League Championship Series and the World Series. The winner earns the biggest pot, but the runner-up still gets a good share. In 2024, players gained US$129.1 million from playoff ticket shares. This is more than the US$107.8 million in 2023. The longer playoff series of the Blue Jays added extra energy to Rogers’ ticket revenues.
Merchandise, Media Rights, and Branding Impact
Merchandise sales rise when teams do well. Advertising money also grows as more people watch the games. The excitement over the Blue Jays’ Game 7 chase lifts the team’s brand. This boost helps Rogers earn more from media and merchandise. When a team wins hearts, the money follows on and off the field. Rogers will soon spin off these assets, hoping to catch this wave.
Conclusion
Even though the Blue Jays did not become champions, their playoff run helped Rogers Communications. The team’s shortfall did not stop a fresh surge in fan support, ticket sales, and media buzz. These gains lift the value of Rogers’ sports assets before the public offering. A win might have given an immediate bonus, but steady growth and strong brand value matter most to investors. Rogers will watch these trends closely as it plans its next steps.
The Financial Post’s sports and finance coverage will continue to track changes in how teams and companies work together.
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