Toronto FC looking for new jersey sponsor

TORONTO – Toronto FC is looking for a new jersey sponsor.

BMO, which has figured on the front of the MLS team’s jersey since its inception, has opted not to renew the deal it signed in 2007 and re-upped five years later for another three years. The current agreement runs out Dec. 31.

Dave Hopkinson, chief commercial officer at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, said BMO will be a more active sponsor in the sport with additional spending on its grassroots soccer programs.

BMO will remain a sponsor with the stadium still known as BMO Field. That 10-year deal expires Dec. 31, 2016 with negotiations with BMO already under way on a possible new naming rights deal.

Despite the team’s up-and-down season, Hopkinson says Toronto FC has shown its intent by going all-in on elite designated players and by committing to an $100-million-plus stadium renovation.

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“It’s very clear that we’re investing deeply in the future of TFC and the success of TFC. We need the right brand to be on our kit as we move forward,” he said Tuesday.

Hopkinson says MLSE is already talking to potential new jersey sponsors.

“Frankly we’re looking at one of the best sponsorship properties available in our entire (MLSE) kit of assets,” he said. “It’s the only sponsorship asset today where you’re right on the athlete’s body. It’s the No. 1 feature. It’s right up there with stadium naming rights. And it’s the only sponsorship asset that travels with us wherever we go.

“So I’m a huge fan of it as a sponsorship property and it will command top dollar.”

Real Salt Lake’s 10-year jersey deal signed last October with LifeVantage Corp., a locally based business that deals mainly in nutritional supplements and skin-care products, is worth a reported US$30 million.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has already said uniform sponsorship is likely down the line in his league.

“The NHL, I don’t believe, has a formal position on it but I do know they’re studying it,” said Hopkinson. “My personal belief is that it is an inevitability. It works in other sports. It doesn’t take away from the brand and as we look for new revenue sources … it’s a natural.”

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