Buffalo Bills & Raptors / MLSE partnership announced

[WuTang_CMB]

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Some raptors in attendance

[douggood]

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/mlse-and-buffalo-bills-announce-partnership-to-engage-canadian-fans-and-grow-the-game-of-football

As the Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2025-26 season earlier this week, the Bills and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) announced today that they have entered into a multi-faceted partnership to celebrate the shared passion for sport north of the border and to help grow the game of football with Canadian youth.

The partnership looks to build connections with Canadian football fans through MLSE's existing portfolio of premier destinations and sports teams, including the Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC. The partnership will feature youth camps with the Toronto Argonauts, exclusive apparel collaborations, watch parties at Real Sports Bar & Grill, Bills prizes and giveaways featured at select games across the portfolio of MLSE properties, and more.

This strategic partnership, launched today with a youth clinic in Toronto that featured executives from the Bills and Argos, Bills Legend Doug Flutie, Toronto Argonaut players, along with Bills minority owners and Toronto sports legends, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Jozy Altidore, is coming on the heels of the Bills officially joining the NFL Global Markets program in May 2025, unlocking their ability to engage fans across all of Canada in addition to focusing on their home market of Southern Ontario.

Linking arms with MLSE, and specifically the Argonauts, represents one of the many Canadian community partnerships the Bills are planning to forge this season; other activation partners include Football Ontario and Heart and Stroke.

"There are no borders when it comes to passion for the game of football, and the rich history of both teams has contributed to Southern Ontario and Western New York being a hotbed for the game," said Keith Pelley, President & CEO of MLSE.

"We will always be stronger as partners, and by working together as teammates to grow the game, we will not only strengthen the profile for both the Argonauts and Bills, but create opportunities for thousands of young fans to learn and love the game of football. Our games may have differences on the field, but the heart of this great game, both in the players and in our fans, is the same and we look forward to celebrating and growing it together in the years ahead."

A cornerstone of the partnership is the Future of Football program, which brings together the CFL's Toronto Argonauts and the NFL's Buffalo Bills, sharing a common goal of growing the game of football for all youth. The program is rooted in the belief that sport has the power to change the world and, together, these storied organizations are giving more Canadian youth access to the game we love to help them reach their full potential.

Future of Football launches today with a flag football camp giving over 200 youth from across the GTA the opportunity to enrich their skills through training sessions with Argonauts and Bills development coaches, and scrimmages with Argos players. Today's clinic is the first of several youth football clinics that the Argonauts and Bills will be co-hosting throughout the year.

"For many years, Canadian football fans have been vital in elevating the Buffalo Bills as an emerging global brand. Considering Toronto—one of North America's largest cities—is located just under one hundred miles from Buffalo, this proximity is not only significant for our market but also for the entire National Football League," said Pete Guelli, Chief Operating Officer, Buffalo Bills.

"By partnering with MLSE and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, and collaborating on the Future of Football program, we are committed to providing Canadian youth with valuable opportunities that will cultivate a passion for American and Canadian football and inspire the next generation of players. Together, we can grow the game and make a lasting impact on young athletes across both countries."

To celebrate the Future of Football program, the Argonauts will host a dedicated Future of Football-themed game when they take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on October 4 at BMO Field. Fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Bills x Argos t-shirt and may participate in contests for Bills prizes. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, and Argos' and Bills' legend Doug Flutie are scheduled to appear. Youth participants from the Future of Football camp will also be invited as special guests to the game.

"The game of football has been a blessing in my life and presented me with opportunities to not only live and work in the city my family and I now call home, but to be able to consider so many teammates as extended family as well," said Michael 'Pinball' Clemons, Canadian Football Hall of Famer and Toronto Argonauts General Manager. "One of those teammates is Doug Flutie and his career perfectly embodies how the greatness of the game transcends any geographical border and how we can come together to celebrate it. I consider it an honour to be a part of this partnership and to help play a role in growing the game of football."

Beginning today, Canadian Bills fans will have access to official team merchandise at Real Sports Apparel in-store and online. In addition, Toronto-founded lifestyle brand Peace Collective will be unveiling a limited-edition Bills x Argos merchandise collection available at Real Sports Apparel and in-venue at BMO Field during the Future of Football-themed game.

Throughout the Bills' season, sports fans in Ontario will have the opportunity to come together to support the Bills as the newly renovated Real Sports Bar & Grill becomes the official watch party destination for Buffalo Bills games. Following the restaurant's grand reopening earlier this month, the northern chapter of Bills Mafia will get to experience themed programming, alumni and mascot drop-ins, apparel and ticket giveaways, and more in the upgraded space and the official bar of Toronto sports.

[Kingsway_fan]

Thought Canadians were boycotting travel to the USA OR buying their products.... are Canadians still shopping on the other side?...

[Fairview4Life]

are Canadians still shopping on the other side?...

Buffalo would like us to be.

[MessiahUjiri]

I see no reason to go to the US. Buffalo is a rundown area anyways.

I’m also never going to Florida, since they support the Israeli Genocide of Palestinian children.

[Tor_Raps]

Not supporting the US until they change their stance towards us.

I understand consuming the Raptors and other things help them but I'll do as much as I can possible to boycott while remaining sane lol.

[720]

Don’t care, want our own team.

[Troubadour]

Ed "MAGA" Rogers cozying up the States, no surprise

[right between the eyes]

Can we have a thread where people's political opinions aren't shared? This is a basketball board. Enough boards out there for that.

[Potential]

Can we move the Jaguars to Toronto already? I'm jealous of the people who will be living in the 2080s that will have an nfl team to root for in Toronto

[Clay Davis]

Can we have a thread where people's political opinions aren't shared? This is a basketball board. Enough boards out there for that.

Kind of impossible to avoid in this case, whatwith the Bills being an American franchise and all that cheese. People didn't just relate their political opinions randomly, but in the context of how they felt about this. The rizz of the thread was respected.

[right between the eyes]

Can we have a thread where people's political opinions aren't shared? This is a basketball board. Enough boards out there for that.

Kind of impossible to avoid in this case, whatwith the Bills being an American franchise and all that cheese. People didn't just relate their political opinions randomly, but in the context of how they felt about this. The rizz of the thread was respected.

I get your point about it being an American team and it's fine to simply comment on not spending money on American products, but I don't come here to hear whether someone is left or right. This is an escape forum from the polarizing world we live in. Besides threads that go that way usually get locked.

[And1Skip]

And this announcement has nothing to do with supporting an American team/products/services. Quite the opposite. It's about helping grow the game of Football in Toronto area because no one cares about the Argos here so need an NFL team to help - so that there will be more Canadians in the future playing professional football. I'm sorry, but if you want kids to succeed in any professional sport in the future, you will have to go through the US no matter how much you hate them (maybe except for soccer for the top elite youth).

[DAcReator]

I see no reason to go to the US. Buffalo is a rundown area anyways.

I’m also never going to Florida, since they support the Israeli Genocide of Palestinian children.

Im sure theyll me missing your presence tremendously. [instagram][/instagram]

[DAcReator]

I see no reason to go to the US. Buffalo is a rundown area anyways.

I’m also never going to Florida, since they support the Israeli Genocide of Palestinian children.

Im sure theyll me missing your presence tremendously.

[Clay Davis]

Can we have a thread where people's political opinions aren't shared? This is a basketball board. Enough boards out there for that.

Kind of impossible to avoid in this case, whatwith the Bills being an American franchise and all that cheese. People didn't just relate their political opinions randomly, but in the context of how they felt about this. The rizz of the thread was respected.

I get your point about it being an American team and it's fine to simply comment on not spending money on American products, but I don't come here to hear whether someone is left or right. This is an escape forum from the polarizing world we live in. Besides threads that go that way usually get locked.

I agree that the comment could possibly derail the rizz of the thread and that it'd be unfortunate for it to turn into a political debate.

I think that sometimes off-topic threads/discussion can be very useful provided that they are not contentious; it is good, for instance, that people can be reminded that the other people they argue with are humans with aesthetic tastes by visiting the music thread. However the same cannot be said for a strongly-stated political opinion, even if I do believe that it is (initially) within the bounds of the thread.

In my opinion, the correct response, when someone reads a comment like that if they disagree with it, would be to either i) ignore it and not post in the thread; ii) state that they disagree and then state their opinion on the topic at hand (eg "Personally, I don't see much of a problem with the relationship between the US and Israel, so that doesn't really affect my stance on this topic, which is [...]").

Whether the rizz of the thread is maintained depends on how much people let themselves get derailed. Some replies here aren't so strongly worded and wouldn't derail a thread within, say, 3 pages... but after 5-6 pages of people pushing the boundaries bit-by-bit, the ensuing debate would be just as wicked a conflagaration as the most inflammatory initial salvo could've prompted Mods don't have an easy job and it's impossible to straddle this boundary, but personally I think it's healthier to just wait until things begin getting out-of-hand, to then rein things in (or perhaps to direct people to the Current Affairs board) rather than pre-emptively locking the thread or strictly policing what is/not within the bounds of acceptable discourse. The rizz... of the discourse... rizzcourse... intercourse?!? what?!?

[deeps6x]

I thought we already had a partnership with the Buffalo Bills, with how many times Jack was bringing them up every game.

[Quattro]

Thought Canadians were boycotting travel to the USA OR buying their products.... are Canadians still shopping on the other side?...

You're talking about Rogers and Bell here. Their CEOs/majority owners would run over their own mothers with a bus decorated with the stars and stripes if it meant increasing earnings per share by a few bucks.

[gp2015]

Unfortunately, the Bills probably have a better chance than any Toronto team of winning a championship anytime soon.

[CPT]

Good move for everyone involved, but I’ve always kind of hated the push for the Bills to be our “local” team.