theScore Bet becomes MLB's Toronto Blue Jays exclusive gaming partner, plans to open jointly-owned sports bar

theScore announced Friday it has struck a historic partnership with The Toronto Blue Jays after the signing of a 10-year agreement to become the lone Canadian MLB club’s exclusive gaming partner. 

As a result, fans at Rogers Centre can expect to see ample presence from theScore Bet this season and beyond, including two immersive premium seating sections on the baselines, extensive in-stadium branding, and in-game features.

The Blue Jays and theScore Bet also plan to create a branded, premium, 365-days-a-year, flagship sports bar and restaurant at the retractable-roof stadium in Toronto's downtown core.

MAJOR NEWS! @theScoreBet becomes the Official Gaming Partner of the Toronto @BlueJays. 🇨🇦#LetsGoBlueJays pic.twitter.com/BUTxF2Sh0Z

— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) April 7, 2022

Blue Jays President and CEO, Mark Shapiro, expressed: “The fan experience is evolving and this monumental partnership with theScore Bet offers compelling new ways for sports enthusiasts to be a part of the game. We are excited to be partnering with a Canadian company that operates at the highest level of the industry and understands our role in Toronto and Canada, to bring baseball to more fans nationwide."

The Blue Jays deal grants theScore Bet, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, exclusive national marketing rights that extend across all gaming categories, including sports betting, casino, online casino and fantasy sports. 

theScore Bet CEO, John Levy, added: “theScore Bet is proudly Canadian, and we are thrilled to make Canada’s baseball team our long-term partner. This is a foundational partnership with a team and organization that is deeply embedded in our country’s sports culture”. 

"With our combined loyal audiences and brand affinity in Ontario, we believe this deal will establish a new standard for team and gaming operator relationships as we pioneer innovative ways to experience and interact with the game," Levy concluded.

This deal comes at the heels of Ontario’s iGaming and sports betting market launch on April 4, including theScore Bet. Since then, licensees have inked deals with Canadian sports teams and leagues, with the latest involving FanDuel and BetMGM in partnership with NHL after their respective launches in the province.