- BMO and Los Angeles Football Club expanded their partnership by adding BMO as the club’s “official jersey sponsor” on the 2024 primary and secondary jersey.
- BMO was already the official bank of LAFC, and the Major League Soccer club’s home in Los Angeles, BMO Stadium
- This is BMO’s third kit sponsorship in MLS in addition to longstanding jersey deals with Toronto FC and CF Montréal
- Shares of Bank of Montreal were up 0.97 per cent, trading at C$126.58 as of 12:08 pm
BMO (TSX:BMO; NYSE:BMO) and Los Angeles Football Club expanded their multi-year partnership Thursday by adding BMO as the club’s “official jersey sponsor” on the 2024 primary and secondary jersey.
BMO was already the official bank of LAFC, and the Major League Soccer club’s home in Los Angeles is the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium. BMO purchased stadium naming rights with a record-breaking US$100 million, 10-year deal in 2022, taking over from Banc of California.
“As ‘The Bank of Soccer,’ BMO is excited to expand this wonderful partnership with LAFC, which further strengthens our commitment to growing the game of soccer across North America,” Catherine Roche, Chief Marketing Officer of BMO, said in a statement. “This not only reflects our passion for soccer but also underscores our support of the Los Angeles community. Together, we’re crafting a blueprint for community empowerment, leveraging the power of sport to make progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society. We look forward to supporting LAFC and its fans this season and beyond.”
According to a news release, BMO has committed more than $16 billion to California as a part of its Community Benefits Plan to address key barriers to economic inclusion. This includes a $3 million donation to Thrive Scholars to launch the BMO Thrive Academy – Los Angeles and a $1 million donation to help Homeboy Industries to expand its Los Angeles Workforce Development and Training Center.
“From the beginning, this has always been an incredible partnership that has united two organizations with a shared vision and commitment to what it means to be a force for good in our community,” Larry Freedman, LAFC co-president and chief business officer, said in a statement. “We are so excited to expand and strengthen this special relationship as we work together to grow the game in Los Angeles and beyond.”
The 2024 primary jersey features a minimalist look punctuated on the front by gold and carbon pinstripes on LAFC’s primary black home color as the base of the jersey. The club’s badge with its 2022 championship star is on the left chest panel, with new jersey sponsor BMO centered on the torso in matching gold lettering. The neck tape inside reads: Shoulder to Shoulder, a rally cry to unite supporters and a reference to building the club together through community and city partners.
This is BMO’s third kit sponsorship in MLS in addition to the Bank of Montreal’s longstanding jersey deals with Toronto FC and CF Montréal. BMO also has a partnership with Canada’s other MLS team, Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
BMO has also invested more than C$25 million to engage, develop and cultivate youth soccer at every level of competition across Canada since 2005, supporting more than 1 million youth athletes in the sport. BMO was also an official supporter of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in North America, and the official bank for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals and Gold Cup.
LAFC, which won the 2022 MLS Cup and has won the Supporters Shield as regular-season champions twice, will have an official 2024 jersey launch event Saturday in the plaza at BMO Stadium. Authentic and replica 2024 primary jerseys will be available to purchase online at adidas.com and mlsstore.com beginning at 1 pm ET Saturday.
BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.3 trillion as of Oct. 31. Serving customers for 200 years, BMO provides a range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally.
Shares of Bank of Montreal were up 0.97 per cent, trading at C$126.58 as of 12:08 pm.
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