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3 key points on how the Rogers/Bell MLSE deal affects the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Rogers/Bell MLSE deal shouldn't have any direct impact on the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. However, changes in the company's board could trickle down eventually reaching the on-ice product, especially if the Leafs fail to live up to expectations this season.

By Nestor Quixtan

Changes in the Toronto Maple Leafs ownership could eventually trickle down to the on-ice product.
Changes in the Toronto Maple Leafs ownership could eventually trickle down to the on-ice product. / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
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The recent buyout of Bell’s 37.5% stake in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) by Rogers Communications is a big, big deal for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On the business news side of it, removing on-field sports from the equation, this acquisition of the Toronto Maple Leafs is a huge news story. Forbes reported the deal to be worth roughly $4.7 billion, making it one of the biggest business deals in Canadian history.

The deal has far-reaching consequences for four major sports franchises: The Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Argonauts, and Toronto FC. The deal also indirectly impacts the Toronto Blue Jays as Rogers owns the Skydome (yes, I still call it “Skydome”).

While the deal actually has a major impact on the NBA, there are three key points to consider when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs. So, let’s take a deep dive into what this deal could mean for the Leafs and the team’s fans moving forward.

3 key points on how the Rogers/Bell MLSE deal affects the Toronto Maple Leafs

It’s all about media

As Forbes noted, Bell’s buyout could impact the broadcasting of Toronto Maple Leafs games this season and into 2026. For the past decade or so, Bell and Rogers have maintained equal coverage of the Leafs and Raptors. However, that stands to change.

Bell stands to lose broadcasting rights to the Leafs and Raptors unless it ponies up the cash. If Bell is unwilling to meet Rogers’ asking price, Rogers stands to keep all of the Leafs and Raptors’ broadcasting rights.

Now, reading between the lines, it seems Bell is comfortable with that idea. Otherwise, Bell would not have sold its rights. In fact, it seems that Bell will most likely focus on the Montreal Canadiens, while Rogers on the Leafs.

It’s also worth pointing out that Rogers has deals in place with the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. As such, Rogers stands to become the sports broadcasting behemoth in Canada.

So, what does this mean to fans?

There could changes in streaming and cable packages. Fans with Rogers should be able to catch all the action, while fans who don’t may have to purchase additional packages to catch Leafs games. That situation could drive prices up. But there’s no telling if that could be the case at this point.

The NHL may also need to look into the matter as the league has a deal with ESPN to broadcast a specific number of games every season. How this deal impacts the NHL’s relationships with ESPN is still uncertain at this point. Personally, I catch Leafs games on ESPN and they’re almost exclusively a retransmission of the Sportsnet broadcast.

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