It’s a new era for one of the NHL’s oldest franchises. News emerged on Monday that the Toronto Maple Leafs sale has been completed. The entirety of the franchise will be owned by Canadian media conglomerate Rogers. This move signals the end of Larry Tanenbaum’s run with the franchise. Tanenbaum had been part of the Leafs’ ownership picture for nearly three decades.
A new beginning and end of an era in Toronto sports: Rogers announces this morning they have taken over 100% ownership of MLSE (had previously owned 75%). The transaction brings to an end Larry Tanenbaum’s remarkable 28-year run as shareholder, almost all as MLSE chair.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) July 6, 2026
Toronto Maple Leafs Sale Completed
The move sees Rogers buy that last 25 percent that was owned by Kilmer Sports Inc., who will receive a staggering fee $4.35 billion. However, Rogers is not just completing the purchase of the Maple Leafs. Other holdings in the portfolio include NBA’s Toronto Raptors, MLS’s Toronto FC and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
The transaction is slated to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. Rogers and Kroenke Sports and Entertainment are the only sports conglomerates that own three or more sports teams in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. The Kroenke group owns the Colorado Avalanche. These are the only two ownership groups with three or more teams after Fenway Sports Group after the Pittsburgh Penguins were sold. However, only MLSE have all their teams in one metro area.
“This is a defining moment for Rogers. Our full ownership of MLSE brings together Canada’s premier communications company with Canada’s premier sports and entertainment organization,” Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said in a statement. “It gives us even more opportunity to invest in championship-caliber teams, create unique experiences for customers and fans, and unlock long-term value for shareholders.”
(Credit Image: © Mathew Tsang/ZUMA Press Wire)
What the Toronto Maple Leafs Sale Means
The value of sports franchises keeps going up and the Maple Leafs are no exception. Rogers now has all the Toronto sports teams under one corporate umbrella. Bell and Kilmer had stakes in MLSE, but Rogers has cleared them out of the way to be the undisputed owner.
Ownership said that it wants to invest in championship-quality teams. However, they’ll need to pony up the cash with teams that have the advantages of not having state taxes like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
Rogers also wants to improve fan experiences with all of their franchise. However, the first concern should be putting out a quality product that can contend for titles. Let’s see if the Toronto Maple Leafs sale is a good thing for the teams and the fanbases.
Main photo by: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
