Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio celebrates with teammates after scoring against D.C. United at BMO Field on March 19.Kevin Sousa/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Eli Zeldin says he has two jobs: a sales rep for an HR software company, and thelancia cori – Italian for “song thrower” – of the Original 109, one of five official supporter groups of Toronto FC.
On game days you’ll find Zeldin and his community of supporters in the south end of the Major Soccer League team’s BMO Field, covered in home red colours, megaphone in hand, occasionally hidden behind clouds of smoke and fireworks. It’s an experience he likens to “a sporting event, a punk rock concert and a political protest all in one.”
Toronto, having long grappled with overpriced tickets and underperforming teams, was not always considered a prime destination for live sports, but in recent years the city has emerged as one of North America’s best places to be a spectator.
“Being in Toronto and being in Canada is really what makes us unique,” Zeldin says of the TFC fan experience. “There’s an incredible amount of diversity in the stands, and there’s an incredible amount of diversity in terms of footballing rituals, traditions and styles that people bring here.”
The Toronto Raptors, still riding high on their 2019 championship, are on track for another playoff appearance this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs are, as ever, fighting for redemption, led by the league’s top goal scorer, Auston Matthews.
And the Toronto Blue Jays have built a roster that ranks them among the contenders for a World Series title, according to betting odds.
After more than two years of limited schedules, reduced capacities or empty arenas – and in some cases, not even playing in Toronto – it’s been a tough ride for teams and fans alike. Before the Omicron wave of the pandemic began in late 2021, the Leafs and Raptors were both averaging near-capacity crowds at the 19,800-seat Scotiabank Arena. In December that capacity was reduced to a scant 1,000, then reduced by half again in January, leading the NHL to postpone several home games.
With restrictions lifted by the provincial government on March 14, sports fans could return to cheer on the players in large numbers. Teams and venues are primed with a host of initiatives to welcome them back, and to reinforce Toronto’s standing as a top-tier city for live sports.
“We’ve had a couple of years to plan what we could do differently, and we’re working on new fan enhancements to make the experience more fun at the National Bank Open,” says the tennis tournament’s managing director, Gavin Ziv.
Ziv adds the intention is to bring back the “festival atmosphere,” with some key upgrades, including a new layout, new landscaping and new food options. “You’re going to really feel a whole new type of energy, flow and design and offering with regards to what you can expect on those 15 acres of land.”
NHL and NBA playoffs are quickly approaching, as well as the start of the Blue Jays and TFC seasons.
“Summertime in Toronto, going to Rogers Centre with the dome open, watching the Blue Jays play baseball is definitely something that over this last two-year period many Torontonians, and Canadians, have been missing,” says Michael Naraine, an assistant professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University.
“The Jays aren’t going to be starting the [regular] season in Buffalo, they’re not going to be starting in Dunedin [Florida], they’re going to be playing their 81 home games at the Rogers Centre, and that’s definitely something to look forward to.”
In addition to expanded rosters of special events, promotions and giveaways, there’s the potential to introduce tools and technologies that have been developed in recent years but have yet to debut in Toronto, Naraine explains.
A recent augmented reality (AR) activation that launched at a Carolina Panthers 2021 home opener could be a sign of things to come. During the game, fans were invited to watch a gigantic digital panther come to life and roam around Bank of America Stadium through the screens on their phones.
Naraine says he can picture “going to a Raptors game and seeing an augmented reality raptor running through the concourse, Jurassic Park style, or maybe seeing a flock of Blue Jays perched on top of the Jumbotron or the Renaissance Hotel windows.
”We’ve got all of these digital tools available to us with our phones, which have augmented reality capabilities, but haven’t been able to go to some of these venues and see it play out in real life.”
Between major-league events, fans in Toronto can attend several other top-tier international competitions, including the Honda Indy. Competitive video gaming, better known as eSports, will soon add another dimension to the city’s ecosystem, with a 7,200-seat Exhibition Place arena slated for completion in summer 2025.