Partnership with NFL team seems like an unlikely one, but can benefit Toronto’s struggling CFL team.<\/p>\n
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Published Sep 12, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 29\u00a0minutes ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 6 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and the National Football League\u2019s Buffalo Bills are partnering up to \u201cengage Canadian fans and grow the game of football.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n If that sounds a little confusing at first, you are not alone.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The immediate question that pops to mind is why would MLSE, owners of the Canadian Football League\u2019s Toronto Argonauts, a team with a fervent but limited fanbase within the GTA, want to spend money and effort promoting another team in its own market to the potential detriment of its own product?<\/p>\n It\u2019s obvious what the Bills get out of the partnership. They have a brand new 71,608-seat stadium opening next season right beside its predecessor.<\/p>\n That stadium comes with a $2.1-billion price tag, $690 million of which the Bills themselves are on the hook for after some generous support from the state and county.<\/p>\n The Bills hope to address most of that $690-mil bill through the sales of personal seat licences at the New Highmark Stadium \u2014 or The Pit as they have taken to calling it in western New York.<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Those seat licences will reportedly range from $500 to $16,500 and, as rabid as the Bills Mafia is about its team, a good chunk of those higher-end seats is simply going to be out of range financially for much of the local fanbase.<\/p>\n So, the Bills will look north, specifically to the more deep-pocketed GTA to fill that void and MLSE and the Argos appear more than willing to help.<\/p>\n The question is, why?<\/p>\n Again, if this all sounds a little one-sided for a true partnership, you\u2019re not the only one thinking that. But after select conversations with some of those involved and media scrums with various principals in the deal, this is our attempt to explain how this will work, supposedly for both sides.<\/p>\n FIRST, THE PARTNERSHIP ITSELF, WHY NOW?<\/p>\n Well, for starters, there\u2019s that new stadium the Bills have to finance and fill, the former the more immediate concern.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n This past May, the Bills officially joined the NFL Global Markets program which allows the team to engage fans across all of Canada in addition to focusing on their home market in Southern Ontario. In the past, the Bills\u2019 efforts to market north of the border have been met with complaints from other NFL owners who weren\u2019t willing to concede a market in another country to the Bills based purely on proximity. That will no longer be the case with the NFL Global Markets program.<\/p>\n WASN\u2019T THERE A PREVIOUS EFFORT BY THE BILLS TO PLANT A STAKE IN TORONTO THAT ENDED POORLY?<\/p>\n Yes, there certainly was. It was called the Bills Toronto Series and it began in 2008 and ran through 2012. It was the brainchild of Bills founder Ralph Wilson along with Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications, who has since passed, and Larry Tanenbaum of MLSE.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Ted Rogers was the father of current MLSE head Edward Rogers, the executive chair of Rogers Communications which owns a controlling 75% stake in MLSE.<\/p>\n Initially, the plan was to play eight home games in Toronto over five seasons that would include a regular-season game in each of the five years of the deal and three exhibitions, one in each of the first third and fifth years.<\/p>\n Eventually that pre-season game in Year 5 was dropped.<\/p>\n At one point, the deal was renewed for an additional five years with again five regular-season games over the five-year contract and a single pre-season game, but after the 2013 game, the decision was made to postpone the series for a year.<\/p>\n In December of 2014, it was announced that a deal had been agreed to that would terminate the contract entirely.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n HOW IS THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP DIFFERENT?<\/p>\n For starters, as it stands now, no games have been announced that would see the Bills return to Toronto for pre-season or regular-season games, though that could change.<\/p>\n At Tuesday\u2019s announcement of the partnership at BMO Field \u2014 that included the likes of Bills limited partners Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Jozy Altidore, in addition to former Argos and Bills quarterback Doug Flutie \u2014 Bills and Buffalo Sabres chief operating officer Pete Guelli mentioned that a game in Toronto could become part of the partnership down the road though Keith Pelley, president and CEO of MLSE seemed far less certain of that when it was brought to his attention.<\/p>\n Mr. Argo himself, Michael (Pinball) Clemons, was genuinely enthused with the new partnership, primarily because it further promotes the game for Toronto\u2019s youth.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Asked how this one differed from the previous one, he pointed to the principals involved.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, we had an NFL\/CFL collaboration sort of thing, right? Here, you have sister cities who have been loyal to each other, so it\u2019s more doable, more reachable,\u201d Clemons said. \u201cThis is going to work because of the commitment of the two cities to this program.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n MLSE enters into partnership with Buffalo Bills, aiming to grow football in Canada<\/p>\n![\"Buffalo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0912-josh-allen-buffalo-bills.jpg\")
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates the team’s win over Baltimore Ravens. AP PhotoArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.5.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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