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| Type | Private |
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| Founded | 1931 (as Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd.) 1998 (present name) |
| Headquarters | Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
| Key people | Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman Richard Peddie, President and CEO |
| Industry | Sports, Property management |
| Products | Professional sports teams, Arenas, BMO Field, Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV |
| Owner | Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (58%) CTVglobemedia (15%) TD Bank Financial Group (14%) Kilmer Sports Inc. (13%) |
| Subsidiaries | Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Marlies, Toronto FC |
Enterprise value  $1.75 billion USD (2008)[1] |
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Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is the owner and operator of the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League team, Toronto Raptors National Basketball Association team, Toronto FC Major League Soccer team, and Toronto Marlies American Hockey League team — all based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to owning these franchises as well as Leafs TV and Raptors NBA TV (the official television stations of the Maple Leafs and Raptors respectively), MLSE is also involved in property management, including ownership of the Air Canada Centre, the home arena of the Maple Leafs and Raptors.
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History
The corporation's roots were established in 1927, after Conn Smythe purchased Toronto's premier hockey franchise that had earned Stanley Cup championships in 1918 (as the Toronto Arenas) and 1922 (as the Toronto St. Pats), and renamed it the Maple Leafs. In 1931, a corporate reorganization resulted in the formation of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd., with the Maple Leafs hockey team as the leading subsidiary.
Supermarket tycoon Steve Stavro led a group to buy the Maple Leafs from the estate of the late Harold Ballard in 1991. Larry Tanenbaum became a partner in 1996 with a 25% stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. (MLGL). MLGL purchased the Toronto Raptors and Air Canada Centre in 1998, at which time the company adopted its present name. Stavro sold his stake to CTVglobemedia in 2003, and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan assumed controlling interest based on equity under the new ownership structure, with Tanenbaum taking over as non-executive chairman. Each owner of MLSE has first right of refusal on any shares sold.
In April 2008, MLSE was reported to be worth $1.75 billion USD,[1] according to a valuation commissioned by the company and cited by the Toronto Star. In addition, the Toronto Star reported that MLSE is considering the purchase of an English Premier League soccer team.[1]
Ownership
As of 2003:
- 58% – Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
- 15% – CTVglobemedia
- 14% – TD Bank Financial Group, through TD Capital Group
- 13% – Kilmer Sports Inc. (owned by Larry Tanenbaum)
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. Board of Directors:
- Larry Tanenbaum – Kilmer Sports (non-executive chairman of the board)
- Richard Peddie (president and CEO)
- Jim Leech – Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
- Robert Bertram – Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
- Dean Metcalf – Teachers' Merchant Bank
- Ivan Fecan – CTVglobemedia
- Robert MacLellan – TD Capital Group
- Dale Lastman – Goodmans LLP
- Erol Uzumeri – Teachers' Merchant Bank
- Robert Bertram will be retiring, but has not yet officially done so. His board seat will be filled by Erol Uzumeri, senior vice-president Teachers' Private Capital.
Assets
- Toronto Maple Leafs professional hockey team (2007 value: $413 million USD (1st in the NHL))[2]**
- Toronto Raptors professional basketball team (2007 value: $373 million USD (14th in the NBA)) [3]**
- Toronto FC Major League Soccer team (2008 value: $44 million USD (2nd in MLS)) [4]**
- Toronto Marlies American Hockey League team
- Air Canada Centre, a multi-purpose arena in downtown Toronto, Canada ($265 million CAD)
- Leafs TV (Toronto Maple Leafs 24 hour television network and one of two networks in North America dedicated to one sports team Raptors TV is the other one)
- Leafs TV HD (an HD simulcast of Leafs TV)
- Raptors NBA TV (Toronto Raptors 24 hour television network)
- Raptors NBA TV HD (an HD simulcast of Raptors NBA TV)
- Maple Leaf Square, a residential and commercial real estate development (to be completed by 2009)
- Note that the valuations done by Forbes are not based on actual numbers provided by MLSE. In 2003, MLSE was internally valued at over $1 billion CAD by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in its annual report.
Sports facility management
- BMO Field (National Soccer Stadium), home of Toronto FC and the Canadian men's national soccer team
- Ricoh Coliseum, home of the Toronto Marlies
Former facility management
- General Motors Centre, home of the Oshawa Generals (2006–2008)[5]
Upcoming project
Maple Leaf Square
In April 2005, MLSE announced that they would be working with Cadillac Fairview (wholly owned subsidiary of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan) and Lanterra Developments to build Maple Leaf Square, a major entertainment complex situated next to the Air Canada Centre in Downtown Toronto. The $500 million CAD complex will be a mixed use facility including office space, residential condo towers and 170,000 square feet (16,000 m2) of retail and dining space. It is expected to be completed by 2010.
See also
References
- Vardi, Nathan. Winning Isn't Everything [1], Forbes, 2007-11-16.
