Cricket Canada has signed its second major sponsor in as many months, with TD Bank Group joining as its official bank partner.
As part of the sponsorship deal, Canada’s national teams will feature TD branding on their training gear and official kits, which will make their debut at the ICC’s 2024 Cricket World Cup in June. TD will also be an official sponsor of Cricket Canada’s national women’s team beginning in 2025.
“We’re proud that the athletes representing Canadian cricket will wear the TD brand in this unique reflection of our exciting new sponsorship,” said TD’s chief marketing officer Tyrrell Schmidt, in a release. “This is an opportunity for us to join the community and cricketers of all ages in their passion and enthusiasm for the game and help Cricket Canada create more milestones together."
The partnership represents a “significant milestone” in the sport’s evolution in Canada, said Cricket Canada. TD Bank Group will also help Cricket Canada grow the game at the grassroots level.
Rahul Srinivasan, CEO of Boundaries North, which is working with Cricket Canada to attract new sponsors to help grow the sport in Canada, said that cricket is increasingly on the radar of brands pursuing a marketing strategy focused on newcomers to Canada.
While the continued influx of newcomers from cricket-mad regions like Southeast Asia is a key factor in the game’s growth, he also said changes to the game itself—most notably the T20 format, a shorter alternative to the multi-day matches that have long been the sport’s hallmark—have helped make it more exciting as a spectator sport.
Boundaries North is building a platform for brands to connect with the cricket community using both digital and social media programs, as well as events, Srinivasan. “We’re looking at how we can make it a better experience for the fans and the brands themselves,” he said.
TD is the second major brand sponsor announced by Cricket Canada, following the announcement that Coca-Cola had come on board as the organization’s official beverage sponsor in February.
Srinivasan said that several other deals are currently in development, featuring both smaller local brands and global brands that he said boast the same brand recognition as Coca-Cola and TD Bank Group.
The announcement of marquee partners is likely to spark further sponsor interest, said Srinivasan. “There’s actually a pathway to really get involved now.”
At the same time, it’s an opportunity for brands to get involved with a sport that’s still very much in its infancy as a marketing vehicle, but is steadily gaining momentum, he said. “Canadian cricket is taking off like a rocket ship.”
