Rogers looking into selling blue jays.....

[Spanky99]

Rogers Communications Considering Sale Of Blue Jays

By Jeff Todd | December 6, 2017 at 8:18am CDT

 

Rogers Communications, the Canadian telecommunications company that owns the Toronto Blue Jays, is considering a possible sale of the team, as Natalie Wong of Bloomberg writes. At this point, it seems the potential move is merely in the conceptual stage.

 

Rogers CFO Tony Staffieri suggests that the entity is pondering the sale in order to raise funds for other initiatives. Other significant Rogers investments are also under consideration for sale, so it seems the broader strategic considerations are driving the company more than any particular consideration tied to the ballclub.

 

That said, there’s little doubt that Rogers is also aware of the potential to lock in a massive gain on its initial purchase of the Jays. Back in 2000, an eighty percent stake cost just $112MM. Given that a struggling Marlins franchise just went for $1.2B, it stands to reason that Canada’s only MLB team — a marketing juggernaut with excellent attendance figures even in losing seasons and robust profitability in winning campaigns — would fetch quite a bit more.

 

Clearly, there’s little reason to think that any sale effort is imminent, let alone a deal itself. But it’s plenty significant that ownership has floated the idea, since that’ll surely function as an initial gauge on market interest and value.

 

In the meantime, it’s naturally fair to wonder how the higher-level business maneuverings might trickle down to the baseball operations. Perhaps the likeliest scenario, though, is to anticipate a continuation of the recent past. Even in the Marlins’ situation, the club waited to make major changes in the lead-up to the sale. Here, there’s good cause to think the Jays will continue their trajectory of attempting to contend while also being notably mindful of maintaining future financial flexibility and building up their farm.

[Brownie19]

Rogers and Bell are in bed together on a lot of things, they'll sell if they deem that's what it takes to improve their wireless and cable departments.

 

I was listening to 590 this morning and Brunt brought up a good point, one of the reasons Rogers could be selling the team is because of how the internet is continuing to eat away at cable. And they have a point, the CRTC already made rulings a couple of years ago about bundling and they're going to continue to try and give Canadians more options, plus with MLB.tv subscriber rates increasing and Google and Amazon looking like they're prepping for a battle on live sports, who knows if cable will be as profitable as it is now.

 

I'd have to imagine Rogers is already driven as an internet and data provider than as a "cable" company no? I read they are considering this due to the massive jump in data use and the need to further invest in that department......that's clearly the future of their company. Cable is all but dead.

[BTS]

I'd love a Mark Cuban type owner.

 

Everyone would. But it's just as likely we'd get a Eugene Melnyk.

[Ray]

The ideal owner would be a rich die-hard fan. Someone like a Tom Ricketts who puts up however enough money needed to win and even is willing to risk losing a bit some times to do so. And hires the right people and leaves it to them to get the job done. Although those are few and far between.

 

The Jays are an attractive commodity. I'm sure there's gonna be tons of interest in them. However, you have to wonder if the Marlins sold for $1.2 billion when they're losing money how much the Jays are gonna go for?

[Maine Jays]

Cuban would be my first choice. He attempted to buy a team (Pirates?) a few years back. Loves spending money.

Otherwise, get Terrance Pegula on the phone. He already owns the Bills/Sabres. Complete the trifecta.

[TheHurl]

MLB has a say in fair market value for TV Deals I’m pretty sure. They probably won’t get a cut price unless they sell the team for cheap. That’s why I think the MLSE will probably be the way to go, Rogers are going to have to probably pay an astronomical price for the Jays given their success in TV ratings and Nation-wide reach

 

It's a two channel competition and TSN doesn't want to get into a war with Rogers, no matter who the owner is it will be a better than expected deal.

[CrackerJack]

I'd love a Mark Cuban type owner.

 

 

I'd like to see Cuban run against Trump.

[John_Havok]

you guys think Jeter wants another team..... I mean he is doing such a bang up job with his other one.

 

He owns 4 % of the team, it's not like he's a real decision maker over there. He's just the pretty recognizable face with a baseball name they can use to market the team.

[Abomination]

Rogers needs to leverage what they have with the Jays better. Give people an experience no one else is digitally, rather than just broadcast. Have a VR feed, add user-selectable camera angles, add some cameras to the batting cage and let people watch BP, spike Atkin's drink and have him drunk call other GMs, that sort of thing. Heck, have some kind of in-game competition with the fans and broadcast it after the game as a reality show. I feel like they're doing a terrible job of utilizing the assets they have in general.

 

On the other side of things, they could host things like a programming competition to have people create new Blue Jays inspired apps. Machine learning competitions could probably help them reduce stadium costs and improve the fan experience, all at ultra low cost. The same things would apply to the NHL for them too.

[AdamLindsMom]

Jim Balsillie? The NHL won't let him in but this would be a shot at owning a professional sports team. Not sure he would have the capital to purchase the team on his own though.

[G-Snarls]

He owns 4 % of the team, it's not like he's a real decision maker over there. He's just the pretty recognizable face with a baseball name they can use to market the team.

 

Exactly

 

Same as Magic Johnson

 

(and Wayne Gretzky in my proposal)

[G-Snarls]

Jim Balsillie? The NHL won't let him in but this would be a shot at owning a professional sports team. Not sure he would have the capital to purchase the team on his own though.

 

Yeah I looked it up, he's not even a billionaire any more

[TheHurl]

Sell it to Caesers and give them the the Ontario Place lands in the deal. Although Mark Scheinberg is also a great choice.

[Brownie19]

He owns 4 % of the team, it's not like he's a real decision maker over there. He's just the pretty recognizable face with a baseball name they can use to market the team.

 

Michael Jordan owns 0.5% too - I never knew that.

[CrackerJack]

too bad John Candy isn't around to be part of an ownership group.

[Dick_Pole]

Rogers needs to leverage what they have with the Jays better. Give people an experience no one else is digitally, rather than just broadcast. Have a VR feed, add user-selectable camera angles, add some cameras to the batting cage and let people watch BP, spike Atkin's drink and have him drunk call other GMs, that sort of thing. Heck, have some kind of in-game competition with the fans and broadcast it after the game as a reality show. I feel like they're doing a terrible job of utilizing the assets they have in general.

 

On the other side of things, they could host things like a programming competition to have people create new Blue Jays inspired apps. Machine learning competitions could probably help them reduce stadium costs and improve the fan experience, all at ultra low cost. The same things would apply to the NHL for them too.

 

Usually your posts are pretty spot on, but I think somebody spiked your drink before you wrote this one. The VR feed/camera angle options sound intriguing, though I assume that MLB would implement than en masse as soon as the appropriate infrastructure is in place to make it happen. The rest of the stuff would be too much for me (I know some of it is sarcastic) and this is coming from a guy closing in on 4,000 posts on a Blue Jays forum. We just had a lengthy discussion in another thread about how much of an irritating douche Stroman is. I'd rather go along in happy ignorance that the rest of the team and MLB players in general aren't all exactly like that, just a little more reserved.

[saskjayfan]

We need the Thomson family.

 

Forbes estimates the Thomson family to be worth 27 billion. We would still have baseball’s richest owners, but they might spend more

[Terminator]

Rogers needs to leverage what they have with the Jays better. Give people an experience no one else is digitally, rather than just broadcast. Have a VR feed, add user-selectable camera angles, add some cameras to the batting cage and let people watch BP, spike Atkin's drink and have him drunk call other GMs, that sort of thing. Heck, have some kind of in-game competition with the fans and broadcast it after the game as a reality show. I feel like they're doing a terrible job of utilizing the assets they have in general.

 

On the other side of things, they could host things like a programming competition to have people create new Blue Jays inspired apps. Machine learning competitions could probably help them reduce stadium costs and improve the fan experience, all at ultra low cost. The same things would apply to the NHL for them too.

 

Rogers is old dinosaur media. The Jays would need to be owned by Google or something for all that to happen.

[Krylian]

Who owns the Dodgers? I want some of that.

[fatcowxlive]

Rogers is old dinosaur media. The Jays would need to be owned by Google or something for all that to happen.

 

Not necessarily, didn’t we have hockey VR earlier in the year? With technology I feel MLB is light years ahead because it’s league with (I think) the most control over their broadcasts. Like Statcast and 60fps video streaming, if VR happens it would be the league who likely do it first and make it exclusive to their MLB.tv service. I have yet to use any sports-dedicated service that can hold a torch to MLB.tv

 

With that being said, IMO VR is a very niche thing right now and I think it will only be profitable on a large scale like a VR public place rather than for home entertainment. Like 3D except the timeline is backwards going from home entertainment to dedicated spots

[Brownie19]

I tried VR once - I was not impressed at all. I mean - I wanted to touch her tits, but I couldn't. Edited December 7, 2017 by Brownie19

[Deadpool]

Just sell the team to Geddy Lee. I actually wouldn't even mind if he meddled in baseball operations, that motherf***er knows his ball!

[Abomination]

Rogers is old dinosaur media. The Jays would need to be owned by Google or something for all that to happen.

 

That's actually not a half bad idea lol. They could use it as a demonstration bed for all kinds of new technology and ideas. Someone spread a rumor that Apple's gonna buy them, and Google will do it by this time tomorrow. They could even convert the hotel into a data center.

[Spanky99]

Just sell the team to Geddy Lee. I actually wouldn't even mind if he meddled in baseball operations, that motherf***er knows his ball!

 

Stroman doesn't like him, though!

[Jonn]

Stroman doesn't like him, though!

 

Stroman doesn't like anybody that doesn't kiss his ass.

[fatcowxlive]

That's actually not a half bad idea lol. They could use it as a demonstration bed for all kinds of new technology and ideas. Someone spread a rumor that Apple's gonna buy them, and Google will do it by this time tomorrow. They could even convert the hotel into a data center.

 

This is a real strong possibility, just not right now! Amazon is already gearing to make a bid for some English Soccer broadcasting rights for their Prime TV service, in the next 5 years we could see Google and Amazon purchase rights away from TV companies, they are have more money than Comcast

[Spanky99]

Stroman doesn't like anybody that doesn't kiss his ass.

 

It was a joke ol' boy, I'm sure Geddy's a Stroman fan. #betweenthelines

[Spanky99]

Shi Davidi and Stephen Brunt killed it on Tim and Sid, basically "be careful what you wish for, Rogers are one of the best ownerships in MLB for the past decade" Amen. Who doesn't want a little more to spend, but we could be far worst. Labatt's stepped up in the late 80's early 90's as have this ownership. Anything could've happened when we made the post-season, in '15/16.

[Mavcarter]

Shi Davidi and Stephen Brunt killed it on Tim and Sid, basically "be careful what you wish for, Rogers are one of the best ownerships in MLB for the past decade" Amen. Who doesn't want a little more to spend, but we could be far worst. Labatt's stepped up in the late 80's early 90's as have this ownership. Anything could've happened when we made the post-season, in '15/16.

 

 

2 playoff appearances in 17 years. "One of the best ownerships in MLB for the past decade" is a stretch

[glory]

Shi Davidi and Stephen Brunt killed it on Tim and Sid, basically "be careful what you wish for, Rogers are one of the best ownerships in MLB for the past decade" Amen. Who doesn't want a little more to spend, but we could be far worst. Labatt's stepped up in the late 80's early 90's as have this ownership. Anything could've happened when we made the post-season, in '15/16.

 

Yeah, I have a bad feeling about this, but I hope I'm wrong. As long as the new ownership group keeps Shapiro and lets him do his thing, I'll be fine. Don't really care what the payroll is. The Jays need to focus on getting younger and cheaper anyway, so cutting payroll and forcing them to be more careful with how they spend is probably a good thing until they are ready to be players in free agency.