Bringing Major League Baseball (MLB) back to Montreal is an idea that has come up several times over the past decade.
Nearly 20 years after the Montreal Expo left for Washington, the prospect of the show Major League Baseball The team's return to the city is gaining momentum again, and discussions are fueling the possibility.
Previous efforts included a high-profile initiative led by local businessman Stephen Bronfman that failed after years of negotiations and stalled stadium plans.
But as MLB openly discusses future expansion and several North American cities position themselves, Montreal's name has resurfaced, this time with new players stepping forward.
Bronfman has long said he would be ready if the opportunity presented itself.
This week he reiterated his confidence, saying: “It will be a competitive process for whoever wins.”
He says sports matter in uncertain times, noting that “if there's political uncertainty or something you don't like, sports entertainment is where you can turn to to take your mind off things.”
Some people ask why baseball and not basketball. Bronfman explained that MLB requires less investment and it is too late for basketball.
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“You invest in stocks when they go down, not when they go up,” he said.
The growing interest comes as fans continue to express support for the return of the exhibitions, calling the idea “the perfect Canadian rivalry.”
Meanwhile, other fans told Global News they want another team for the Blue Jays to beat.
Now Montreal entrepreneur and WatchMojo founder Ash Karbasfroushan is exploring the idea with an online survey to determine whether Montrealers are interested in baseball.
In a post written by Karbasfrushan, he said he created it to see if fans cared “or if they were suffering from PTSD and had moved on.”
According to his post, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and has “energized him,” with thousands of responses received.
After he began discussing the idea as a “research study,” he said contacts in the financial world immediately reached out to him.
He says some private investors are also showing interest.
Bronfman added that he would be willing to invest if things go well.
“Now I’m in a position where it’s not like I’m going to write a check for billions of dollars and invest, but I can essentially facilitate it and do matchmaking.”
However, both entrepreneurs recognize key obstacles, including financing, stadium space, broadcast rights and league approval.
“To be clear, we don't need taxpayer money because even I, as a citizen, don't really think that when hospitals and schools are cutting budgets, we should be funding a baseball team,” Bronfman added.
He also believes Montreal can help MLB grow internationally.
“Quebec and Montreal give us a gateway to France, Switzerland, Belgium, African countries where French is spoken. And also thanks to the WatchMojo audience, we have 8-9 million subscribers in Mexico.”
Global News reached out to MLB for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
“If MLB says we're open to it, then we can have a team, and I'm very confident about that,” Bronfman said.
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