B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman interested in purchasing BC Place from province

Graphic: 3DownNation (Photos: Jeff Vinnick/B.C. Lions)

B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman has officially expressed his interest in purchasing BC Place Stadium from the Government of British Columbia, 3DownNation has confirmed. TSN’s Farhan Lalji was the first to report.

The news comes after B.C. minister of jobs and economic growth Ravi Kahlon said in an exclusive interview with Postmedia that the province would be open to selling the stadium to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The MLS franchise has been actively negotiating with various levels of government for the past several months in an attempt to solve their financial issues and avoid a potential relocation, with greater control over stadium revenue becoming a key sticking point.

“We’re open to the conversation if the parameters are there,” Kahlon stated.

Lions’ president Duane Vienneau told 3DownNation via telephone on Friday evening that Doman’s interest in purchasing the stadium pre-dates the Whitecaps’ report and is not meant as a response to that organization. However, recent events have made his ambition seem more realistic.

“This isn’t a whim. It’s been something that he first brought up at least two, maybe three years ago, and he just never thought it was on the table,” Vienneau said. “I think some of the recent developments that have happened have made him think, ‘Oh my God, maybe it is on the table?’ And he has sent a document to the province stating that he’s interested.”

The Lions are slated to return to BC Place on Saturday after being forced to spend the first seven weeks of the CFL season on the road due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The franchise signed a new three-year lease for the stadium with PavCo, the Crown corporation that operates the venue, on Friday.

Purchasing the stadium was not discussed as part of the lease negotiations, but arose separately.

It has been speculated that the new deal could see the Lions receive a greater share of gameday profits in light of some of the Whitecaps’ demands regarding concessions, alcohol sales, and parking revenue. In June, Doman told 3DownNation that a cut of those revenue sources would be “a game-changer overnight.”

Vienneau would not disclose the details of the new lease, but emphasized that the team was pleased with the results.

“We’re happy with the terms. The terms are better than what we had,” he stated. “PavCo was great to work with.”

BC Place underwent several upgrades in advance of the World Cup that could be beneficial for the Lions, particularly the addition of new premium seating options. A brand-new artificial field turf has also been installed, which officially passed CFLPA testing on Friday.

Doman, a building supplies magnate from Vancouver Island, purchased the B.C. Lions in August 2021 and has been unafraid to spend in order to benefit the team. He has paid out of pocket to host a series of kickoff concerts in recent years, bringing in acts such as 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg. This year, he has already invested in a renovation of the team’s Surrey practice facility and the erection of a temporary stadium in Kelowna, which held two games amidst the World Cup.

It is unclear how the provincial government will weigh the two expressions of interest in BC Place, or how either sports team would fare as a tenant with the other as the owner. A sale would require a formal bidding process, which has not yet commenced.

The B.C. Lions (1-4) will host the Toronto Argonauts (2-4) at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, July 25, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Argonauts lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week after Lirim Hajrullahu missed a potential walk-off game-winning field goal, while the Lions failed in their comeback bid against the Edmonton Elks.

The weather forecast in Vancouver calls for a high of 22 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 1050 in Toronto and 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver.

J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.