Rogers Communications Inc.

Who controls Rogers Communications?
The Rogers family, through the Rogers Control Trust, controls approximately 97% of the voting rights in Rogers Communications through Class B shares. Edward Rogers, son of founder Ted Rogers, serves as Chairman of the Board. Tony Staffieri serves as President and CEO. The dual-class share structure gives the family effective control despite holding a smaller economic interest.

Is Rogers Communications publicly traded?
Yes, Rogers is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under ticker symbols RCI.A (Class A, non-voting) and RCI.B (Class B, voting), and on the New York Stock Exchange under RCI. The Rogers family controls the majority of voting shares through the Rogers Control Trust.

What was Rogers' revenue in FY2025?
For FY2025, Rogers reported total revenue of CAD $19.1 billion, up from CAD $15.7 billion in FY2024. Adjusted EBITDA was CAD $8.5 billion, net income was CAD $1.6 billion, and free cash flow was CAD $3.3 billion. The revenue increase was driven by the Shaw Communications acquisition and wireless subscriber growth.

Did Rogers acquire Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment?
Yes, in July 2025, Rogers completed the acquisition of BCE Inc.'s 37.5% stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for C$4.7 billion, giving Rogers a 75% majority interest in MLSE. The acquisition added the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), and Toronto Argonauts (CFL) to Rogers' sports portfolio. The remaining 25% is held by Kilmer Sports Inc., Larry Tanenbaum's holding company.

Did Rogers acquire Shaw Communications?
Yes, Rogers completed its acquisition of Shaw Communications in April 2023 for approximately CAD $26 billion. The acquisition significantly expanded Rogers' presence in western Canada. As a condition of regulatory approval, Rogers divested Shaw's Freedom Mobile wireless business to Videotron for CAD $2.85 billion.

Does Rogers own the Toronto Blue Jays?
Yes, Rogers Communications has owned the Toronto Blue Jays MLB baseball team since 2000, when it was acquired for approximately USD $137 million. Rogers also owns Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays' home stadium in Toronto, which was acquired in 2004 for CAD $25 million (originally named the SkyDome).

What happened with the Rogers network outage in 2022?
In July 2022, Rogers experienced a major network outage that affected approximately 12 million Canadians for approximately 19 hours. The outage was caused by a software update to the core network that removed a routing filter. The outage disrupted wireless, internet, and cable services, as well as interbank payment systems and emergency services. Rogers paid approximately CAD $150 million in customer credits and faced regulatory scrutiny from the CRTC.

Rogers Communications traces its origins to Ted Rogers Sr., who founded a radio station in the 1920s and developed the world's first alternating current radio tube. His son, Ted Rogers Jr., built the modern Rogers Communications empire.

Ted Rogers Jr. acquired CHFI-FM, a Toronto radio station, in 1960 with partner Joel Aldred. Rogers expanded into cable television in the 1960s, acquiring cable franchises in Toronto and other Ontario communities. The company went public in 1967.

Rogers became a pioneer in Canadian wireless communications. In 1985, Rogers launched Canada's first cellular telephone service, establishing itself as a leader in Canadian wireless. The company continued to expand its wireless network throughout the 1990s and launched Canada's first LTE network in 2011.

Rogers expanded aggressively through acquisitions in the 1990s and 2000s. The company acquired Maclean Hunter in 1994 for approximately CAD $3.1 billion, adding cable systems and media properties. In 2000, Rogers acquired the Toronto Blue Jays MLB baseball team for approximately USD $137 million. In 2004, the company acquired the SkyDome stadium (renamed Rogers Centre) for CAD $25 million. Also in 2004, Rogers acquired wireless carrier Fido for approximately CAD $1.4 billion. In 2007, Rogers acquired the Citytv television network.

Ted Rogers Jr. passed away in December 2008. The Rogers family, through the Rogers Control Trust, maintained voting control of the company following his death.

In 2021 and 2022, Rogers underwent a highly publicized governance dispute when Edward Rogers (Ted's son) attempted to replace the company's CEO and board members. The dispute played out publicly and in the courts, ultimately resulting in Edward Rogers gaining greater control over the company's board. Tony Staffieri was confirmed as CEO.

In April 2023, Rogers completed its acquisition of Shaw Communications for approximately CAD $26 billion, one of the largest telecommunications mergers in Canadian history. The acquisition significantly expanded Rogers' presence in western Canada and added Shaw's cable and wireless operations. As a condition of regulatory approval, Rogers divested Shaw's Freedom Mobile wireless business to Videotron for CAD $2.85 billion.

In July 2025, Rogers completed the acquisition of BCE Inc.'s 37.5% stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for C$4.7 billion, giving Rogers a 75% majority interest in MLSE. The deal added the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and Toronto Argonauts to Rogers' sports portfolio, which already included the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre. The acquisition made Rogers the largest sports franchise owner in Canada. The transaction was funded through a combination of cash on hand and debt financing.

For FY2025, Rogers reported total revenue of CAD $19.1 billion, up from CAD $15.7 billion in FY2024, with the increase driven by the Shaw acquisition and wireless subscriber growth. Adjusted EBITDA was CAD $8.5 billion, and free cash flow was CAD $3.3 billion.

Rogers experienced a major network outage in July 2022 that affected approximately 12 million Canadians, disrupting wireless, internet, and cable services for approximately 19 hours. The outage also affected interbank payment systems and emergency services in some areas. The outage was caused by a software update to the company's core network that removed a routing filter. Rogers faced significant public and regulatory criticism following the outage and was required to pay approximately CAD $150 million in customer credits. The CRTC conducted an investigation and imposed additional reporting requirements on Rogers.

The 2021 and 2022 Rogers family governance dispute, in which Edward Rogers attempted to replace the CEO and board members, played out very publicly and damaged the company's reputation for governance. The dispute involved competing boards of directors, court battles in British Columbia and Ontario, and public statements from family members. The resolution gave Edward Rogers control of the board but raised questions about corporate governance at a company with concentrated family voting control.

The Shaw Communications acquisition faced significant regulatory scrutiny from the Competition Bureau of Canada, which initially opposed the merger. The acquisition was ultimately approved after Rogers agreed to divest Freedom Mobile to Videotron for CAD $2.85 billion and make additional commitments including CAD $1 billion in network investment and lower prices for customers in western Canada for five years.

The MLSE acquisition in 2025 also drew scrutiny, as it consolidated significant sports media and team ownership under one company. Critics raised concerns about the competitive implications of Rogers controlling both Sportsnet and the majority of MLSE teams, potentially giving the company outsized influence over sports broadcasting rights in Canada.