Home of LAFC, Angel City FC to be known as BMO Stadium under new deal

BMO is joining forces with Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC, with the soccer teams' shared home now known as BMO Stadium.

The change from Banc of California Stadium took effect Thursday.

BMO becomes a founding partner of Angel City, joining other blue-chip sponsors such as Chevrolet, Heineken and Tecate in partnering with the second-year National Women's Soccer League franchise. BMO also becomes the official bank of LAFC.

For Julie Uhrman, Angel City's co-founder and president, partnering with BMO is more than just a business deal.

"When we evaluate partners, the first thing we look at is their values and are our values aligned," she said in an interview. "So knowing that BMO has a commitment to equity in sports and wants to help grow this great game is absolutely in line with what we do."

"It was incredible to see that they spent $25 million Canadian to develop and cultivate youth soccer in Canada," she added. "And then they came into the market of Los Angeles and said they didn't only want to partner with the professional men's league, they also wanted to partner with the professional women's team.

"Which directly speaks to equity in sports and they want to show they support both equally because they both drive incredible engagement and value in the marketplace."

As with each sponsor of Angel City, BMO and the NWSL team will reallocate 10 per cent of the partnership back into the community — in this case by sponsoring Girls Play Los Angeles (GPLA). BMO will be supporting more than 400 high school aged girls and "gender expansive" youth across Los Angeles with no-cost access to soccer.

"Clearly (Angel City) is very passionate about promoting equity in the sport and so are we," said Catherine Roche, BMO’s chief marketing officer.

"That pillar of creating a more inclusive society has a lot of facets but sports is one of them," she added. "This is definitely a very concrete way that we can live on that commitment and work with a really fantastic partner to advance it."

BMO is no stranger to Canadian soccer fans. Toronto FC's lakefront home has been known as BMO Field since 2007, when the team became MLS's first Canadian franchise. It also partners with the Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal.

BMO recently partnered with TFC to launch the Women in Soccer Fellowship, designed to provide women on-the-job experience in coaching, scouting, player development, medical and team services and medical to increase the number of women in sport.

The L.A. stadium is scheduled to host soccer games and track and field events during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Banc of California agreed in 2016 to a reported US$100-million, 15-year deal to have its name on the US$350-million stadium built by the LAFC ownership group. The stadium, just south of downtown Los Angeles, sits on land that used to be home to the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

In May 2020, LAFC and Banc of California announced a restructuring of their long-term partnership that included the bank "eventually" stepping away from its stadium naming-rights position.

LAFC, home to Canadian international goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, is the defending Major League Soccer champion.

LAFC has sold out every regular-season and playoff game at the 22,000-capacity stadium, which opened in 2018 with the MLS team's debut.

Angel City, meanwhile, averaged more than 19,000 fans per game for its inaugural season to lead the NWSL.

The franchise just hired Canadian Sarah Smith as its new director of medical and performance. The Vancouver-born Smith, who grew up in Halifax, has spent the last 10 years with Canada Soccer, starting as a physiotherapist under John Herdman.

Angel City was founded by actor Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, venture capitalist co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Uhrman, a former a former tech entrepreneur and entertainment executive.

Its ownership group is a Who's Who of women including actors Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Jennifer Garner, Lauren Cheney Holiday, Eva Longoria, Shannon MacMillan, Gabrielle Union and Canadian Lilly Singh, singers Christina Aguilera and Becky G, fashion designer Rachel Zoe, former ski star Lindsey Vonn, basketball player Candace Parker and former soccer players Shannon Boxx, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.

Former Canadian international Diana Matheson, who is leading a group looking to form a women's pro league in Canada, sees Angel City as a "case study.''

"What they've shown is how big this product, women's professional soccer, can be when there's a strong business model there. It's women-led. It's community focused. It's player-focused,'' Matheson said in an interview earlier this month. "And we absolutely believe that can be built in Canadian markets as well.''

Uhrman is wishing the Canadian venture well.

"It is a great example of how the growth of women's sports is on the rise. And it's not a linear growth," she said. "We are going to see exponential growth in women's sport in the next three to five years. And this is just a great example of incredible talent that wants to develop into a professional experience. And I think that's great."

Los Angeles FC's home opener this season is March 4 against the Portland Timbers after taking on the rival Galaxy on Feb. 25 at the Rose Bowl. Angel City will kick off its season in late March.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2023.

Note to readers: An earlier version of the story incorrectly said BMO becomes the official bank of Angel City FC