Edward Rogers has a new sporting venture.
The executive chairman of Rogers Communications has purchased a minority interest in the Toronto Polar Bears, a Pro Padel League (PPL) team.
Padel is a racket sport with roots dating back to the late 1960s in Mexico. It was first introduced to Canada in 1991 in Calgary, according to the Canadian Padel Federation.
The Polar Bears are the only Canadian franchise in the PPL. They were founded in 2023.
“I am excited and honoured to partner with global business leader and sports visionary Edward Rogers for the Toronto Polar Bears,” Polar Bears president and CEO Zale Turner said in a statement. “Padel is the world’s fastest growing sport and that enthusiasm is rapidly spreading throughout Canada and the United States.”
“I’m thrilled to invest in the Toronto Polar Bears, part of the world’s top professional padel league," Rogers said in a statement. "Padel is an exciting and fast-growing sport, and I’m proud to be part of the only Canadian franchise in the Pro Padel League, featuring both men’s doubles and women’s doubles."
The Pro Padel League is one of the world’s top professional padel leagues with 10 teams in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The PPL events reach 300 million households across more than 100 countries via world-class distribution partners, with events selling out in Miami, New York and Spain last season.
