Toronto FC

On May 12, 2007, padded seat cushions rained from Toronto’s skies for 25 seconds as 20,000 fans celebrated Toronto FC’s first goal. After more than 396 minutes of scoreless soccer, the expansion team delivered with a shot from Danny Dichio.

The crowd’s ensuing eruption of TFC chants and flying seat cushions highlighted an unprecedented level of passion and enthusiasm that MLS’s first international club enjoyed throughout its first season. From chants and cheers to flags and scarves, Toronto wrapped itself in the name and color of its new team, creating one of the most successful expansion clubs any sports league has ever known.

“We have yet to have a team that has sold out every game and captured the attention of the entire city,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “They have done that and then some.”

MLS awarded Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment an expansion club in 2005, shortly after an agreement was reached to build a soccer stadium in Toronto. The organization tapped Paul Beirne to run the team, believing the expertise in ticket sales he cultivated overseeing sales for the Toronto Raptors would be an asset.

Beirne created a club membership program that tied membership to tickets for the Under-20 World Cup in Canada in 2007. More than 1,500 people signed up, giving the club a list of passionate soccer fans who later bought the team’s first 2,600 season tickets. The club expanded that number to 5,800 through a series of pub crawls with players and coaches. By March 15, 2007, the team had sold 14,000 season tickets — the highest in MLS.

The ticket sales gave the team’s sponsorship sales department enough leverage to negotiate a series of deals including a naming-rights agreement with BMO Financial Group valued at $23.7 million over 10 years. BMO also put its name on the front of the club’s jerseys for an estimated $1.5 million annually.

The staff fostered a vibrant game atmosphere to deliver for sponsors on game day. For the opening game, the club mailed all season-ticket holders a free scarf. As a result, all of the fans walked into the stadium wrapped in the team’s colors.

The supporter groups that the team encouraged fans to create led the crowd of 20,180 strong in chants throughout the game.

“We made it clear from the outset that this is their team and their venue,” Beirne said. “Our desire to listen and not dictate how things go at our games has created that foundation so that people feel comfortable singing and making banners.”

Despite finishing its first season with a 6-17-7 record, the team captivated Toronto so much that by Nov. 12, 2007, it had already sold out of season tickets for 2008. And it did so despite adding 2,000 season tickets and increasing ticket prices 13 percent.

“We want to prove that this is not a fluke,” Beirne said. “The passion today is as strong as ever and getting stronger.”

Fans weren’t the only ones signing up for a second season. Sponsors who ignored the club its opening year clamored to be involved in year two. Samsung, IBM, Air Canada, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s and Tim Hortons all joined, pushing sponsorship revenue up 50 percent from 2007.

“If we thought we were onto something last year, I think we confirmed it this year,” said Tom Anselmi, MLSE’s chief operating officer. “People will forgive you in the first year of expansion, so we know that going forward will be about delivering great value and putting a great product on the field.”