BMO becomes official jersey sponsor for LAFC

Avatar
Image via LAFC official website

LAFC and BMO confirmed an expansion of their multi-year partnership, unveiling BMO as the Club’s “Official Jersey Sponsor” on the 2024 primary and secondary jersey.

BMO currently have a fantastic relationship with LAFC and the community with the national bank firm being the Official Bank of LAFC as well as the naming rights to the team’s home stadium, named BMO Stadium right in the heart of Los Angeles.

According to the club, the new LAFC 2024 primary jersey represents strength, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

It features a minimalist look with gold pinstripes on LAFC’s primary black home colour. BMO will be front and centre on both jerseys in gold to match the club’s colour scheme and jersey aesthetic.

BMO Financial Group is a large national bank in North America that has served customers for over 200 years. The team of highly engaged employees provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally.

BMO Chief Marketing Officer Catherine Roche expanded on the company’s drive to improve the sport in the local area and continue their great deal with LAFC.

“As The Bank of Soccer, BMO is excited to expand this wonderful partnership with LAFC, which   further strengthens our commitment to growing the game of soccer across North America,” she said in a BMO statement.

“This not only reflects our passion for soccer but also underscores our support of the Los Angeles community. Together, we’re crafting a blueprint for community empowerment, leveraging the power of sport to make progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society. We look forward to supporting LAFC and its fans this season and beyond.”

LAFC Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman expressed a similar excitement to this deal.

“From the beginning, this has always been an incredible partnership that has united two organizations with a shared vision and commitment to what it means to be a force for good in our community,” he added in an LAFC press release.

“We are so excited to expand and strengthen this special relationship as we work together to grow the game in Los Angeles and beyond.”

BMO has been a major contributor to the MLS and North American football for many years, with over a decade of experience partnering with other MLS teams including Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. BMO has also invested over C$25 million ($28.3mil AUD) to engage, develop and cultivate youth soccer at every level of competition across Canada since 2005, supporting over one million youth athletes in the sport.

Both parties share the same values and have very similar cultures when it comes to developing the sport and MLS in North America which should see significant progress in this sector.

Through multiple partnerships, both BMO and LAFC are quickly working towards becoming a powerhouse of their own as they try to conquer the huge Los Angeles entertainment and sports market.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football Victoria Backs Campaign to Shield Junior Players from Gambling Harm

Avatar

More than 600 sporting clubs across Victoria have enrolled in a state government program designed to limit young players’ exposure to gambling, with Football Victoria now urging its community clubs to join before a late-July registration deadline.

The Love the Game initiative asks clubs to formally commit to a set of principles: refusing sports betting sponsorships, developing internal harm prevention policies, and building environments where coaches, parents and players are equipped to discuss gambling risks with children.

The program’s public health rationale has a sharper statistical edge than its community-facing materials suggest. A 2025 study of Victorian secondary school students aged 12 to 17 found that nearly 30% had gambled at some point, and among those who had gambled in the past year, 7.5% met the criteria for problem-gambling and a further 26.8% were classified as ‘at-risk’. The research, commissioned by the state government and published earlier this year, also found that students exposed to gambling venues and advertising were more likely to gamble or to do so in a risky manner.

The most recent Victorian Population Gambling Study found that Victorians aged 18 to 24 are the group least likely to gamble overall, yet carry the highest rates of harmful gambling across all age groups. Young people aged 18 to 34 are around five times more likely to bet on sports than older cohorts.

When the data lands at the clubhouse door

Football Victoria’s support for the program reflects a broader recognition within community sport that participation rates and club culture are connected. The environments clubs create shape whether young people stay in sport and what norms they carry with them into adulthood. For football specifically, which draws participants across a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, that responsibility is not evenly distributed. Approximately 440,000 Victorians, or 8.5 per cent of the state’s population, are classified as being at some risk of experiencing problem gambling.

The Victorian Government’s program gives clubs more than symbolic membership. Registered clubs receive practical tools to develop governance frameworks around gambling harm, resources for coaching staff and volunteers, and standing as part of a growing network of clubs taking a formal position on the issue.

Researchers have described the current framing of gambling harm as a matter of personal responsibility as inadequate, arguing it is a public health issue requiring a systemic response. Community football clubs, with their reach into households across the state, are one of the institutional levers available to make that response visible.

Melbourne Victory driving strong partnerships with BYD

Avatar
TY Lim / Shutterstock.com

The innovative vehicle manufacturer will join the Victory family as a Major Partner and Exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier in a 12-month deal.

 

Elite performance, accessible for all

The alliance between Melbourne Victory and BYD reflects both parties’ commitment to progress, efficiency and high performance. It brings together two organisations who share vision and values, two fundamental aspects of any successful partnership.

On one hand is a rapidly growing and community-connected manufacturing company with over 100 sites, intent on providing reliable vehicles to Australian families. On the other, a successful club in the heart of Melbourne, with ambitions to progress on the pitch while regularly engaging with the community.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, commented on the strong foundations of the partnership with BYD.

“Founded only a decade apart, there is a shared history of, and ambition for, continued accelerated growth between Melbourne Victory and BYD.”

“Not only is there a clear alignment of our vision and values to lead, unite, connect and inspire, but a mutual commitment to creating a better future for our communities.”

 

Delivering for the community

As part of the partnership, BYD’s branding will feature on Victory’s home and away jerseys, as well as across the Academy, media and Community assets.

Moreover, the agreement comes as a response from Victory to members and fans’ wishes for not just any vehicle partner, but one which is appropriate and coherent to their day-to-day lives. And as BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Collins, explained, the new energy vehicle manufacturer is driving far more than just passengers.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Melbourne Victory, a club that shares our relentless drive for performance and innovation,” expressed Collins.

“As the exclusive vehicle supplier, we’re not just providing new energy mobility; we’re supporting the team’s journey towards a more sustainable future.”

New energy, new partner and new ambitions for Melbourne Victory, who will compete on the international stage next season in the AFC Champions League Two.

And with a partner like BYD to back them, players and fans in the Victory family will be hoping it is the start of a journey to success.

 

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend