Toronto Tempo

What Toronto Tempo does

Toronto Tempo is the WNBA's 14th franchise and the first based outside the United States, debuting in the 2026 season after paying a $50 million league expansion fee. The club operates a professional women's basketball team competing in the WNBA's Eastern Conference, with home games primarily at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto (8,210 capacity) plus select games at Scotiabank Arena, Bell Centre in Montreal, and Rogers Arena in Vancouver under a national Canadian footprint strategy. The franchise is privately held as Tempo Basketball Club Inc. in Ontario, controlled by Kilmer Sports Ventures (Larry Tanenbaum) with a celebrity ownership group including Serena Williams, Ryan Reynolds, Lilly Singh, Masai Ujiri, and Robin Roberts.

The organization's core product is live professional basketball entertainment, supported by a merchandise operation (direct online store at shop.torontotempo.com plus Fanatics-operated physical retail), an annual Fan Club membership at $50 CAD, tiered season ticket deposits ($100/$250 CAD), and premium hospitality (suites and loges). Beyond game-day operations, the franchise produces a four-part ESPN docuseries titled 'Setting the Tempo' and runs community programs under the Tempo Impact umbrella covering youth development (Tempo Rising), coaching (Tempo Coaching Pool), and bilingual programming (Ensemble, on gagne for French-language audiences).

Revenue is generated across five streams: ticket sales through Ticketmaster, merchandise sales via the online store and Fanatics, sponsorship and partnership agreements (founding partners CIBC and Sephora Canada; official partners FanDuel for iGaming and Tampax/P&G), national broadcast rights with Bell Media/TSN across TSN, CTV, and Crave streaming, and premium hospitality. The franchise is independently funding a C$50 million+ world-class practice facility (Tempo Performance Centre at Exhibition Place) scheduled for completion by the 2028 season, on land leased from the City of Toronto. Leadership comprises President Teresa Resch, GM Monica Wright Rogers, and Head Coach Sandy Brondello (2024 WNBA champion with the New York Liberty).

Name

Toronto Tempo

Legal name

Tempo Basketball Club Inc.

Website

https://tempo.wnba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Toronto Tempo is the WNBA's 14th franchise and first outside the United States, fielding a professional women's basketball team playing home games in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver for Canadian audiences. The club generates revenue through tickets, merchandise, founding-tier sponsorships, and a national Bell Media/TSN broadcast deal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Venue Operations for Live Games (Stadiums/Arenas) (MPAGAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE), Sports Hospitality & Premium Experiences (VIP, Suites, Fan Zones) (MPAGAMAJ), Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO)

Keywords

• Professional basketball team
• Wnba expansion franchise
• Live sports events
• Team merchandise sales
• Sports sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from season ticket packages (with premium and standard tiers), individual game tickets, and premium seating (suites and loges). Venues include Coca-Cola Coliseum (primary), Scotiabank Arena, plus Bell Centre Montreal and Rogers Arena Vancouver for select games.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store (shop.torontotempo.com) and physical retail operations through Fanatics partnership. Includes jerseys, apparel, and team merchandise.
3. Sponsorship and Partnership: Founding partners (CIBC, Sephora Canada), official partners (FanDuel as iGaming/sportsbook partner), and corporate sponsorship agreements with tiered benefits including in-arena visibility and digital activations.
4. Media Rights: Broadcast rights agreement with Bell Media/TSN for national Canadian coverage of Tempo games, marquee WNBA events including All-Star, Playoffs, Finals, and Draft. Includes TV on TSN and CTV plus streaming on Crave.
5. Premium Hospitality: Suite rentals and loge rentals at home games with food/beverage packages, corporate entertainment offerings, and premium member privileges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Toronto Tempo is a WNBA expansion franchise that generates revenue by staging live women's professional basketball home games, selling team merchandise, offering tiered season ticket and Fan Club memberships, and packaging premium hospitality and corporate sponsorship inventory. Its primary product is the home-game event calendar played at Coca-Cola Coliseum with satellite dates at Scotiabank Arena, Bell Centre Montreal, and Rogers Arena Vancouver. Supporting revenue comes from merchandise (jerseys, apparel, accessories), the Fan Club membership program, broadcast rights sold to Bell Media/TSN, and suites/loge rentals.

Product overview

Toronto Tempo is a WNBA expansion franchise and Canada's first WNBA team, debuting in the 2026 season as the league's 14th franchise. The organization's product portfolio centers on live WNBA basketball game events at Coca-Cola Coliseum and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (with additional games at Montreal's Bell Centre and Vancouver's Rogers Arena), supported by a direct-to-consumer merchandise store operated in partnership with Fanatics, annual fan club and season ticket membership programs with tiered benefits, and an ESPN docuseries 'Setting the Tempo' produced with a high-profile group of executive producers. Community engagement is organized under the Tempo Impact brand, encompassing youth programs, coaching initiatives, and community partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WNBA Live Game Events WNBA women's professional basketball home games played at Coca-Cola Coliseum (primary home arena) and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with select regular-season satellite games at Bell Centre in Montreal and Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Tickets are sold per-game and via season ticket packages for fans attending live professional women's basketball.
• Toronto Tempo Merchandise Team-branded merchandise including jerseys, apparel, and accessories sold online at shop.torontotempo.com and through Fanatics-operated physical retail stores for fans seeking official team products.
• Season Ticket Membership Annual season ticket packages granting fans access to Toronto Tempo home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum and Scotiabank Arena, with payment plans (Annual, Semi-Annual, Quarterly) and Membership Privileges including priority access to playoff tickets. Initial access is via refundable-but-convertible CAD$100 standard or CAD$250 premium deposits that secure position on a waiting list.
• Fan Club Membership Annual fan club membership program offering fans exclusive content, fan engagement opportunities, and community events related to the Toronto Tempo; auto-renews annually at CAD$50 per year.
• Premium Hospitality (Suites and Loges) Suite and loge rentals at Toronto Tempo home games with food and beverage packages, premium member privileges, and corporate entertainment offerings for high-spend individual fans and corporate hospitality buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Marina Mabrey scored 53 points (WNBA single-game record tie) and made 9 three-pointers (WNBA single-game record tie) in first season with team
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Bell Media / TSNflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 April 2026Bell Media announced as official Canadian media partner for broadcasting and streaming WNBA games. TSN covers all Toronto Tempo games, regular-season matchups, and marquee events (All-Star, Playoffs, Finals, Draft). Select games also air on CTV and Crave streaming.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticket provider for Toronto Tempo. Manages all ticket sales including season ticket deposits, individual game tickets, and premium suite/loge rentals through Ticketmaster platform.
• FanaticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFanatics partners with Toronto Tempo to operate physical and online retail stores for official team merchandise including jerseys, apparel, and official products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Toronto Raptors: NBA franchise sharing Toronto ownership expertise through Masai Ujiri and serving as a market-overlap reference. Provides context for venue economics, sponsorship benchmarks, and Toronto-specific fan behavior relevant to a Canadian professional basketball entrant.

Direct peers

• Phoenix Mercury: WNBA franchise with a long operating history and a recent sale valuing the team in the high eight figures. Provides a comparable for franchise valuation benchmarks and established revenue mix (gate, sponsorships, media) in a non-traditional basketball market.
• Indiana Fever: WNBA franchise that has experienced a dramatic recent rise tied to star talent (Caitlin Clark) and elevated viewership. Most relevant peer for benchmarking the trajectory from expansion-style growth to nationally significant franchise, including the 1M-viewer Fever matchup against Tempo.
• New York Liberty: WNBA franchise that won the 2024 championship under head coach Sandy Brondello (now Toronto Tempo's coach). Closest peer for executive leadership continuity, championship-level operations, and large-market premium hospitality model.
• Golden State Valkyries: WNBA expansion franchise that joined the league in 2025, immediately preceding Toronto Tempo. Directly comparable as a recent expansion team navigating market entry, roster build-out, and brand establishment in a major North American market.
• Las Vegas Aces: WNBA franchise that has been the league's benchmark on-court performer in recent years. Comparable in product (live WNBA games, premium hospitality, merchandise) and is a relevant benchmark for revenue model and sponsorship pricing at the upper end of league valuations.
• Portland Fire: WNBA franchise that has experienced multiple eras of operation and reactivation. Comparable as a WNBA franchise navigating modern league economics and provides benchmarking on brand re-launch, merchandise demand, and small-market fan engagement.
• Seattle Storm: WNBA franchise with championship history and strong fan engagement. Comparable in offering (live games, merchandise, season-ticket memberships) and serves as a benchmark for women's sports audience development in a non-traditional basketball market.
• Minnesota Lynx: WNBA franchise with deep championship pedigree, where GM Monica Wright Rogers previously played and won two titles. Closest peer for leadership continuity and provides a model for sustained on-court excellence that Toronto Tempo aspires to.

Emerging players

• Angel City FC: NWSL women's professional soccer club with celebrity-investor ownership model and high brand awareness. Comparable as a women's professional sports franchise leveraging star investors to drive fan engagement, sponsorship pricing, and merchandise velocity in a competitive North American sports market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TempoBasketball
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@torontotempo
• Facebookfacebook.com/TorontoTempo
• Instagraminstagram.com/torontotempo
• TikToktiktok.com/@torontotempo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tempobasketball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Toronto Tempo