Including the OHL and IHL, the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA) "could have 12 pro sports teams by 2002, all competing
for fans, airtime, and, most of all, money," according to
Morgan Campbell of the TORONTO STAR, who examined whether
the market is over-saturated. While it "seems congested,"
officials from the "new teams are confident their franchises
will survive," saying that the GTA's "large and diverse
population provides numerous niche markets in which a number
of teams can thrive." AFL Phantoms CEO Rob Godfrey: "I
think there's room for every sports team without a great
overlap of fans. We're going after the people who can't
afford to go to Leafs and Raptors games, and the people who
have gone away from Blue Jays games over the years." New
franchises "see themselves as a lower-priced alternative" to
the Raptors and Maple Leafs, "able to meet fans' demand
without draining attendance from established teams." IHL
President Doug Moss: "You could have 10 IHL teams in Toronto
and it wouldn't impact the Maple Leafs." NLL Rock VP John
Mouradian said that the Rock "has been the most popular of
the GTA's new teams," with two consecutive NLL titles and a
season-ticket base of about 5,000, but they still "haven't
turned a profit." The team has lost money in its two
seasons, and has been "relying on" ticket sales and
sponsorships because it does not have a TV contract. A-
League Lynx co-Owner Bruno Hartrell, on the GTA market: "You
need patient investors here. It's not like you're going to
invest this season and you're going to make a profit. You
have to have at least a five-year plan" (TOR. STAR, 11/19).
