With BMO Field preparing for Toronto FC’s sixth season of soccer, the manager of the facility, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE), announced the stadium’s business results for the year ending December 31, 2011.

BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC and Canada's National Soccer teams, realized an operating profit of $1.1 million in 2011, an increase of 72 per cent from 2010’s operating profit of $640,000. The results exceeded the initial operating profit estimate by $635,000.

As in previous fiscal years, the operating profit will be shared between the Exhibition Place/City of Toronto and MLSE in accordance with their agreement. MLSE has managed events and the building operations for BMO Field since its inception in 2007. Under MLSE’s management, BMO Field has returned more than $1.75 million of stadium profits back to the City of Toronto.

“BMO Field has been a success in both creating activity at Exhibition Place and producing exceptional results for the City of Toronto," said City Councillor and Chair of the Board of Exhibition Place, Mark Grimes. "Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has done a wonderful job in managing BMO Field on behalf of Exhibition Place, making it a great private-public sector partnership story.”

"BMO Field is a city building blueprint of how a public facility can create a greater social and economic benefit,” said Bob Hunter, MLSE’s executive vice-president of venues and entertainment. “Thanks to the hard work of many people behind the scenes, BMO Field has flourished. We’re proud that the stadium has continued to produce strong results for the City of Toronto for five consecutive years.”

Built in 468 days, on time and on budget ($62.9 million), BMO Field is a successful result of a public-private partnership with three levels of government — the Federal Government, Province of Ontario, City of Toronto — and MLSE. All four parties financially contributed to the cost of building the stadium.

The facility has welcomed more than 2.1 million guests at 147 events since opening in April 2007. The venue has hosted a number of events including Toronto FC and Canadian National soccer games, the FIFA Under 20 World Cup tournament, the Genesis reunion concert, the 2008 MLS All-Star Game and most recently the 2010 MLS Cup Championship.

Toronto FC plays its first home game of the 2012 Major League Soccer season at BMO Field on Saturday, March 24 against the San Jose Earthquake. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.