"On the surface, Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster's press conference last week would have felt familiar to almost any North American sports fan. Once again, a team was agitating for more money or a better stadium. Once again, local governments were at least partially to blame. Some of his comments, though, felt more alien, and raised a question that seemed unfathomable just a couple of months ago: are the Vancouver Whitecaps about to die?"
"Schuster said the Whitecaps generate less revenue than any other franchise in the league. Indeed, some reports say that on matchdays, they are entitled to as little as 12% of the take at BC Place, the multipurpose stadium they've called home since entering MLS in 2011. The stadium has bona fides, having hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup final, with two Canada games to come at this summer's men's World Cup."
The Vancouver Whitecaps were among Major League Soccer's most competitive sides in 2025, eliminating Inter Miami from the Concacaf Champions Cup and losing to Miami in MLS Cup. The team features global star Thomas Muller and is weeks from its home opener. The club is for sale amid a weakened financial state and inability to secure a new stadium. The Whitecaps generate less revenue than any MLS franchise and reportedly receive as little as 12% of matchday revenue at BC Place. BC Place is a multipurpose, heavily booked venue; PavCO negotiations for improved lease terms have been fruitless. A one-year MOU with the city has produced no viable stadium options.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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