The Stanley Cup might be parked in South Florida, but at least Canada’s baseball team is giving sports fans across the country something to cheer about.
Driving the news: The Toronto Blue Jays are off to their best start in franchise history, pulling off a 10-game win streak and firmly taking over first place in their division. Ticket prices are up, TVs are tuned in every night, and Jays gear is flooding the streets of Toronto.
- Shockingly, the team struggled to fill half of the ballpark in early April, but if you’ve looked at ticket prices in the last two weeks, you know that’s not an issue anymore.
Why it matters: The Jays' recent run has proven once again that when the team is good, people — and their wallets — will follow. In 2015, the first time the team had made the playoffs in over 20 years, Jays ownership, businesses, and TV networks were all reaping the rewards.
- The bars and restaurants around the Rogers Centre saw profits climb around 30% during the Jays' first playoff series that year compared to the same period in 2014.
- In 2016, another playoff year for the team, Sportsnet's Blue Jays game viewership broke records for the first half of the season, jumping 51% from the year before.
Big picture: If the team can keep the wins coming, another economic boost could be in store. During the Jays' last playoff appearance, the owner of Steam Whistle Brewing just outside of the Rogers Centre, said having October baseball in the city is like getting another August worth of beer drinkers' business.—LA