Latest news with #CaryKaplan
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Women's Football Alliance looking to expand league to Winnipeg, Canada
The Women's Football Alliance is looking to expand to Winnipeg and other Canadian markets. Uploaded June 11, 2025. (Women's Football Alliance) Women's tackle football in Winnipeg - that's the Women's Football Alliance's (WFA) goal as it tries to expand into Canada. The WFA has existed since 2009 in the United States and there are now more than 60 teams in the three different divisions. The pro division features 12 teams that are based in major hubs like Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Los Angeles. Now, the league is looking to expand north of the border. The WFA has partnered with Cosmos Sports and Entertainment to try and find owners to bring teams to major Canadian cities, including Winnipeg. Cary Kaplan, the president of Cosmos, said there has been tremendous growth in women's sports—ranging from the PWHL to the WNBA—and there isn't a bigger sport than football, making it the perfect time to expand to Canada. 'We're going to follow the lead of soccer, basketball and hockey to different extents and saying, 'We think tackle football is an obvious next one here,'' said Kaplan. 'Winnipeg is an obvious market, you know, top attendance in the CFL. There's a long history of football. There's a history of women's football. The question is, we need somebody, ideally from Manitoba, that steps up and says, 'I think this is a great opportunity.'' Kaplan said they hope to create an entire Canadian division with four to six teams. The league is also looking to try and expand by as early as next season, which could potentially lead to a Canadian team competing in the WFA championship game in July 2026. 'We're moving quickly because if you are an ownership group, you'd want as much lead time as possible to build your team and get a fan base and do all those kinds of things,' he said. 'Between CFL and NFL, you think of all the people engaged in tackle football—the time has come. There's no logical reason that women's football shouldn't have the opportunity to grow.' Prospective owners are told to contact Cosmos directly. Kaplan said they are looking for the 'best first right fit.' 'We're not going to wait to have a pool and wait for three months. If one excellent owner from Winnipeg comes forward, we're going to move forward with that.'
Hamilton Spectator
06-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Maple Leafs-Panthers tickets were available for under $300 each on game day — if you're willing to stand and have an obstructed view
The good news for Maple Leafs fans hoping to watch Game 1 of the playoff series on Monday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena was that tickets were still available at the box office. The bad news was that you'd have to fork over a hefty penny to get in. In what could be a sign of things to come, tickets were still on sale hours before puck drop. By Monday afternoon, the Ticketmaster map still showed available seats both in the lower and upper bowls — in addition to plenty of resale tickets. The cheapest ticket was for standing room only, with an obstructed view, in the 300 level, for $269.50 (including fees). They were available at the lunch hour but gone by late afternoon. Seats in the lower bowl ranged from $668.50 to $1,162.50 each by late afternoon. The best available seat from the box office at noon was in the first row of Section 107, at the blue line for $2,115.50. The high cost is nothing out of the ordinary for the hottest ticket in town. But it's usually reflected on the resale market where fans (and scalpers) are trying to cash in, said Cary Kaplan of Cosmos Sports & Entertainment. Some Edmonton Oilers season ticket holders last year were getting as much a $10,000 a seat for their tickets, he noted. The availability of box office tickets this close to game time might be a case of the 'economy talking' and the consumer 'walking away,' said Vijay Setlur, a sports marketing expert and business instructor at York University. Many people are feeling the pinch and putting a limit on what they are willing to spend due to the current economic climate. At the same time, sports organizations are doing their best to squeeze as much money from their sales as possible, instead of letting resellers get a profit. 'Maximizing revenue generation is paramount for sports franchises,' said Setlur, noting it's especially true for teams generating Canadian dollars in revenue but with player salary costs in U.S. dollars. A team like the Leafs might generate a big chunk of its ticket revenue from premium seating in suites, VIP clubs and lounges. But it's still important to prioritize income from all available options — hence why even single tickets are increasingly expensive, he said. 'The Leafs conduct research to determine the ticket price points the market can bear, hence demonstrating the importance of maximizing revenue from all inventory,' he said. Toronto dispatched the Ottawa Senators in the first round in the Battle of Ontario in six games. There were still tickets on the day of the game from the box office at Scotiabank Arena for the first round as well. The Leafs are trying to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2002. As hockey fans in Toronto are constantly reminded, it's been almost 60 years since the franchise won the Stanley Cup, last winning the NHL championship in 1967.
Toronto Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Maple Leafs-Panthers Game 1 tickets were still available for under $300 each today — if you're willing to stand and have an obstructed view
The good news for Maple Leafs fans hoping to watch Game 1 of the playoff series on Monday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena was that tickets were still available at the box office. The bad news was that you'd have to fork over a hefty penny to get in. In what could be a sign of things to come, tickets were still on sale hours before puck drop. By Monday afternoon, the Ticketmaster map still showed available seats both in the lower and upper bowls — in addition to plenty of resale tickets. The cheapest ticket was for standing room only, with an obstructed view, in the 300 level, for $269.50 (including fees). They were available at the lunch hour but gone by late afternoon. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Seats in the lower bowl ranged from $668.50 to $1,162.50 each by late afternoon. The best available seat from the box office at noon was in the first row of Section 107, at the blue line for $2,115.50. The high cost is nothing out of the ordinary for the hottest ticket in town. But it's usually reflected on the resale market where fans (and scalpers) are trying to cash in, said Cary Kaplan of Cosmos Sports & Entertainment. Some Edmonton Oilers season ticket holders last year were getting as much a $10,000 a seat for their tickets, he noted. The availability of box office tickets this close to game time might be a case of the 'economy talking' and the consumer 'walking away,' said Vijay Setlur, a sports marketing expert and business instructor at York University. Many people are feeling the pinch and putting a limit on what they are willing to spend due to the current economic climate. At the same time, sports organizations are doing their best to squeeze as much money from their sales as possible, instead of letting resellers get a profit. 'Maximizing revenue generation is paramount for sports franchises,' said Setlur, noting it's especially true for teams generating Canadian dollars in revenue but with player salary costs in U.S. dollars. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A team like the Leafs might generate a big chunk of its ticket revenue from premium seating in suites, VIP clubs and lounges. But it's still important to prioritize income from all available options — hence why even single tickets are increasingly expensive, he said. 'The Leafs conduct research to determine the ticket price points the market can bear, hence demonstrating the importance of maximizing revenue from all inventory,' he said. Toronto dispatched the Ottawa Senators in the first round in the Battle of Ontario in six games. There were still tickets on the day of the game from the box office at Scotiabank Arena for the first round as well. The Leafs are trying to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2002. As hockey fans in Toronto are constantly reminded, it's been almost 60 years since the franchise won the Stanley Cup, last winning the NHL championship in 1967.
