By Canadian Press

Source: Veteran sports and broadcast executive Keith Pelley chosen as MLSE’s new boss

Jan 10, 2024 | 4:30 PM

TORONTO — Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has settled on Keith Pelley, chief executive of golf’s DP World Tour and former president of Rogers Media, as its new president and CEO, according to a source.

The source was granted anonymity because the formal announcement has yet to be made. The appointment was first reported by TSN.

MLSE declined comment on the new appointment.

Pelley succeeds Michael Friisdahl, who left in February 2022 to take over as executive chairman of Signature Aviation, a British-based multinational aviation services company. Friisdahl had been in charge since December 2015.

Chief financial officer Cynthia Devine has served as MLSE’s interim president and CEO during the search for Friisdahl’s successor.

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Pelley was put in charge of over the European Golf Tour, now known as the DP World Tour, in the summer of 2015. Before taking over Rogers Media in September 2010, he served as president of Canada’s Olympic broadcast media consortium, president and CEO of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and president of TSN.

He was in charge of Rogers when the communications giant signed the record 12-year, $5.2 billion rights deal with the NHL in November 2013.

Pelley, who turns 60 on Thursday, joined TSN in 1986 as an editorial assistant and worked his way up to senior news producer and event producer for CFL, curling, tennis and baseball. He left in 1994 to join FOX, where he worked as a game producer for NFL, NFL Europe, NHL and Major League Baseball.

He returned to TSN three years later as senior vice-president of programming and production and was appointed president in 2001. He ran the Argonauts from 2003 to 2007 before taking over the Olympic broadcast consortium.

Pelley’s Instagram bio reads “Canadian citizen. UK resident. European heart. World traveller. European Tour CEO and, oh yes, a very bad short game!”

MLSE owns the NHL Leafs, NBA Raptors, AHL Marlies, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and the Argonauts.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2024.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press