HAMILTON — Former sports television executive Scott Moore has joined Hamilton’s Commonwealth Games bid committee.
A group of business and community representatives in the southwestern Ontario city is pursuing the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Moore stepped down as Sportsnet’s president in 2018 after eight years in that role.
He’s volunteering his expertise, according to a statement Wednesday from Hamilton’s bid corporation.
“I’m excited about the positive impact that an event of this stature can have on a community, from creating much needed infrastructure such as affordable housing and community facilities, to accelerating economic growth and jobs,” Moore said in the statement.
“Hamilton has a unique opportunity to obtain the Games without an expensive bid process, and is leveraging private sector investment.
“This significantly increases the community benefit and dividend.”
Moore was a driver of Rogers securing a 12-year rights deal with the NHL and acquiring the Grand Slam of Curling during his Sportsnet tenure.
Over 35 years involved in television sports production, Moore has worked a dozen Olympic Games and a pair of Commonwealth Games.
“We intend to leverage that experience in delivering on the Commonwealth sporting movement’s commitment to use sport to bring about transformational change, particularly in the areas of diversity and inclusiveness, economic revitalization and sustainable development, skills training and employment and tourism and hospitality,” bid corporation chair Louis Frapporti said in a statement.
Moore is currently the CEO of Uninterrupted Canada, an athlete empowerment platform founded by NBA star LeBron James.
Hamilton pivoted from a 2030 bid to 2026 at the request of the international Commonwealth Games Federation, because of a dearth of global candidates.
The quadrennial Commonwealth Games features 6,500 elite athletes and coaches from 71 countries competing in summer sport.
Gold Coast, Australia, was the most recent host in 2018. Birmingham, England is next in 2022.
Victoria was the last Canadian host city in 1994.
Hamilton’s 2026 proposal is scaled down with an estimated cost of $1 billion to stage the games, compared to the projected price tag of $1.5 billion for 2030.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2020.
The Canadian Press
