Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has looked once more to the U.S. for a sports executive to replace CEO Tim Leiweke, who leaves his position in two months.
Three sources familiar with the matter told TSN that MLSE’s board was recently interested in interviewing Sam Kennedy, a senior executive with Fenway Sports Group in Boston.
Fenway is the parent company of the Boston Red Sox and the English premiership soccer club Liverpool F.C. The company also owns the home stadiums for both teams as well as a majority interest of the New English Sports Network, a regional sports network, and 50 per cent of the NASCAR team Roush Fenway Racing.
Kennedy, who is in his early 40s, grew up in the shadow of Fenway Park and is a rising star in the sports business industry. He helped to navigate the potential backlash when the Red Sox placed ads over Fenway’s famous left-field wall and, according to the Boston Globe, helped last year to introduce a dynamic ticket pricing model for the Red Sox.
MLSE contacted Red Sox executives John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino to ask for permission to interview Kennedy. While Henry, Werner and Lucchino agreed to allow Kennedy to pursue the job leading Canada’s largest sports empire, he declined the opportunity, sources told TSN.
Kennedy declined to comment.
