If you’re here, you know it’s true. Most Canadians only start paying attention to baseball when the Toronto Blue Jays make the playoffs or reach the finals. The new Director, Brand & Digital Marketing position opening for the Toronto Blue Jays has raised a few eyebrows, including mine.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The finals between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays that occurred on Saturday, November 1st, were watched by almost 10.9 million Canadians, making up to 45-50% of the country’s population, survey, a big jump from the 22% amount of people who followed the Blue Jays, according to Mintel (2023). Another heartbreaking survey tells us only 8% identify as die-hard MLB fans in Canada.
Which makes it true: Blue Jays marketing only spikes during “viral windows” when the team performs well, like it did back in 2015 and 2016, when the nation briefly united around Jose Bautista’s bat-flip and the roar of a packed Rogers Centre.
Important History of Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are the only Major League Baseball (MLB) team in Canada that holds a national audience (5,000 KM wide) but a local home. That’s both their advantage and challenge.
Is It a Marketing Flaw? My View
Yes, partly.
Wins create stories, and stories sell.
For years, Rogers Communications, the team’s parent company, which oversees the Toronto Blue Jays brand and digital marketing, barely produced major campaigns for the Jays until they hit the finals. Most notably, the “Bring It Home” campaign only surfaced when the team was already in the spotlight.
Players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are among the few who attract notable brand partnerships, with TD Bank and other sponsors, while much of the roster remains commercially under-leveraged.
This is an important rule of sports, as building a consistent team engagement circles more around the players year-round.
What the Data Shows
The 2025 sponsorship data reveals a significant lift in brand metrics tied directly to the Jays’ postseason run. In other words, when they win, everyone wins: fans, sponsors, and broadcasters.
Final Views
If the Blue Jays want to move from being Canada’s most recognized team to its most loved, they’ll need to invest in the in-between moments, the off-seasons, the rebuilding years, digital fan engagement, marketing strategy, and the community outreach that keeps the conversation alive.
Because every Canadian knows the Blue Jays when they win.
The real challenge is making them matter when they don’t.
Good news: The next home Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day is March 26, 2026, which is just 142 days away. The real game starts now: keeping fans engaged before the first pitch.
