April 23, 2013 - 1:54 PM
WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced that the team posted a $758,307 loss last year, blaming costly delays in building their new home for the disappointing economic performance.
The club released its 2012 financial report Tuesday and said while the team had an overall operating profit of $726,930, "exceptional" costs for the development of Investors Group Field and a loss from the write-down of Canad Inns Stadium turned the team's bottom line from black to red.
The Bombers were supposed to play in their new $200-million facility at the University of Manitoba campus last year, but weather delays hindered construction and forced the team to continue using Canad Inns.
Investors Group Field is expected to be ready this season, with a practice run taking place on May 26 for a multi-denominational prayer event. A Bombers exhibition game is scheduled for June 12 against Toronto and a sold-out Taylor Swift concert is slated for June 22.
The loss was a sharp turnabout from the 2011 financial report, which saw the Bombers take in $3.01 million in net earnings from operations and an overall net profit of $2.3 million after stadium development costs.
Winnipeg did have some good news on Tuesday, announcing season ticket sales for this year had climbed past the 23,000 mark, up from last year's record high of 22,050.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013