Two Toronto tech entrepreneurs have launched a bid to bring a WNBA team to the city.
According to a news release Monday, Daniel Escott and Max Abrahams, both partners at the New Media Group advertising agency, have been developing the bid for several months and have been boosted by the Raptors’ recent success.
“Buoyed by the World Championship performance of the Toronto Raptors coupled with dynamic rise in the popularity and notoriety of Canadian basketball at all levels, the time is now to expand Canada’s professional footprint,” the release said.
“Toronto’s credibility as a professional basketball market has never been higher on the world stage and the time is now for a Women’s team to join its NBA counterpart in the Six.”
The campaign, dubbed WNBATO on social media, is currently being developed and is expected to be proposed to the league before the end of the summer with the hope of having a Toronto team in place by spring 2020.
There are currently 12 WNBA teams, with none in Canada. In comparison, there are 30 NBA teams, with the Raptors being the only Canadian team.
“This isn’t just a business opportunity. This is an opportunity to inspire a new generation of women and girls in sport,” Escott said in a statement.
“Twenty years from now, we want to trace the success of Canada’s finest athletes to this moment.”
The bid committee said investors, board members, and a potential arena selection will be announced in the coming weeks.
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