Vancouver Businesses Campaign to Keep Whitecaps

Vancouver business leaders have launched a campaign to keep the Major League Soccer club Vancouver Whitecaps in the city, with hundreds of companies pledging sponsorships, partnerships and ticket programs to address the team's revenue shortfalls.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade issued an open letter calling on businesses to support the club, which has been up for sale since December 2024. More than 30 potential buyers have reviewed the team's financials, but Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said none have shown interest in operating under the current model at the provincially owned B.C. Place Stadium, citing revenue limitations there as a key barrier.

A competing bid from an investor group led by businessman Grant Gustavson seeks to purchase the franchise and relocate it to Las Vegas, complete with plans for a privately financed soccer-specific stadium. Gustavson is the grandson of Public Storage co-founder B. Wayne Hughes and the son of billionaire investor Tamara Gustavson.

"For more than 50 years, the Vancouver Whitecaps have been a pillar of our community, and the business community is sending a clear message we want them to stay," said Bridgitte Anderson, CEO of...