The numbers came out Monday and despite the fact the team managed just three wins on the field in 2013, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did post a winning bank balance last season.
The team showed a profit of $2.9 million.
“We had a very positive year off the field and have a lot of opportunity for growth going forward,” said team president and CEO Wade Miller.
Miller said the profits came despite having to spend money on severance payouts for former employees and one-time expenses related to the team’s move to Investors Group Field.
Looking ahead, the team is expected to make the first $4 million payment by the end of 2014 on an $85 million taxpayer loan for construction of the new stadium.
“I’m glad they’re making money,” said Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger. “A profitable team means they’ll be able to meet all their obligations and put a first-class product on the field.”
The team could see up to $2 million in additional revenue thanks to the league’s new TV deal with TSN.
And if city council approves a new proposed transit plan, several hundred thousand dollars in annual costs related to busing fans to the stadium could be picked up by the City of Winnipeg.
On Monday morning, Mayor Sam Katz said he was waiting for more information from the football club before deciding which way to vote on the transportation plan.
By Monday afternoon, Miller said copies of the team’s annual report had been delivered to city hall and he hoped the information contained in that document would be sufficient for council to make an informed decision.
"We're less than 30 days away from our first pre-season game and we'd like to be able to tell our fans the direction that we're going in,” said Miller.
He said if council rejects the proposed transportation plan, the team is prepared to run their own park-and-ride system to get fans to the game.
