The naming-rights deal for Telus Field, home of the Edmonton Cracker-Cats, has expired, and new team owner Daryl Katz will be shopping a new deal. Rexall Field, anyone?The naming-rights deal for Telus Field, home of the Edmonton Cracker-Cats (independent; Golden Baseball League), has expired, and new team owner Daryl Katz will be shopping a new deal. Rexall Field, anyone?
The original deal with Telus was $2 million for 10 years, struck in 2005; it was extended a few times for what has been described to us as a token amount. New owner Katz, we are told, doesn’t want to settle for a token amount, and thus is looking to shop around a new deal.
He also has an ace in the hole. Katz owns the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, but he made his money as owner of the Rexall drug-store chain. He’s also invested in naming rights to Rexall Place, the home of the Oilers. If push comes to shove, he could always stick the Rexall name on the ballpark.