BCLions.com
TORONTO — Amar Doman is a lot of things. Founder and sole shareholder of The Futura Corportation. Owner of the BC Lions. Football coach and CFL fan.
Since taking over the Lions in August of 2021, Doman has brought an infusion of energy and ideas to the team that have been felt throughout the province.
One of the most immediate impacts is the product on the field. After four straight seasons without a winning record before Doman took over, BC seems to be on its way to a second consecutive positive campaign and postseason bid.
Assembling a good staff that can put together a good team is only one of the multitude of roles a franchise owner in the CFL has to perform. Another equally important one is community engagement, in which the new head of the Leos seems to be on top of as well.
“The business aspect of pro sports, the revenue streams, the costs, etc. It’s not a very complicated business to understand,” said Doman on an interview with Donovan Bennett and Henoc Muamba on The Waggle. “What it needs, in my view, is a lot of attention, it needs push, and it certainly needs community involvement.
“I think it comes down to each team and city really being brand ambassadors, having CFL parties. Get the name out there and people will resonate to it more.”
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It wouldn’t be uncommon in any industry for the new owner of a company to look for ways to cut costs and improve profitability through the reduction of expenses in general. Doman, however, knows that the attention to detail he has been preaching since purchasing the club requires you to put money back in for it to be sustainable long term.
That’s because sports — like a lot of other industries — require people caring enough about the product and the experience you’re selling.
“For me coming in, investing in a lot of different businesses over the years, this to me was no different on that strategy, which is keep putting money in and making it an experience such that your customer base, cares, feels it and sees it and also be visible.”
The son of Ted Doman — an industrious entrepreneur in the forestry industry — doesn’t want to focus strictly on pro football to expand the Lions’ influence across the province, choosing instead to invest on the sport as a whole.
The businessman has done so through the investment in all levels of football, including helping support an eventual reinstatement of the Simon Frasier University’s football program, which was shut down in 2023 after 53 years of existence.
“We’ll do whatever we can to help protect that beautiful brand of football at SFU and we’re going to do whatever we can to get it back in U SPORTS, wherever it can go. What I can do is help funding. Whatever I can do off the field I will do it to make sure this great program goes ahead. And if not, we’re going to die trying.”
The CFL is riding a wave of momentum fuelled by higher viewership, growth in its largest markets, surging online engagement and a game that continues to deliver high scoring, big play football.
That’s in part due to an ownership group committed to developing the game at all levels, not only through financial investment but also detail-oriented groups that are aware about the ins and outs of the league.
“I think the ownership structures now across Canada are the best they’ve been in decades,” said Doman. “Everybody is paying attention to making their experience better. I believe there’s going to be more investment going into the CFL.”
Even more impressive in the latest run of success of the Lions is the fact that they lost their leader at the quarterback position in Most Outstanding Canadian Nathan Rourke in the off-season to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The organization, however, swung a mid-season trade for veteran Vernon Adams Jr. in 2022 that showcased the forward thinking mindset that has been a part of the team under Doman, co-general manager Neil McEvoy and co-GM and head coach Rick Campbell.
“First of all our coaching staff is first class with coach Campbell, (Ryan Phillips) and the whole gang. They’re an amazing group of people. Full trust in what’s going on there. And certainly (Vernon Adams Jr.) has come in and taken a leadership role right on. He came into a difficult situation last year, when Nathan went out and we traded for him. He has become family to a lot of our offence and just taking on that leadership role.
“I’ll tell you what, he’s a true leader. Seeing the team growing together, it’s just wonderful.”
It’s not hard to explain to investor and fan alike why they should feel the connection to the league in the way Doman describes. All you have to do is show them a CFL game like the one the Lions played against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 11, a 34-29 loss that wasn’t the result BC was looking for but highlighted yet another close back-and-forth high level game of football.
“Come in and see a hard-working league like the CFL, and see how beautiful it really is,” Doman said.
The Lions will attempt to sustain the high-standard of football established since Doman took over as they take the field on Saturday, Aug. 26, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BC Place.
