TheScore and Canlan Sports announce cross-branding partnership
Canadian firms align in advance of rollout of legalized sports betting
TheScore and Canlan Sports have teamed up on a partnership that will see the pair of Canadian firms promote the other’s brand throughout the country as the legalized sports betting space there begins to take shape.
The deal further positions theScore – and its mobile sportsbook, theScoreBet – as one of the first movers in Canada’s online betting industry, while Canlan is the country’s leading owner and operator of sports recreation complexes. Both entities stand to benefit from the partnership.
As part of the deal, theScore will receive on-site branding throughout Canlan’s network of six sports complexes in Ontario, in addition to gaining access to promotional assets at Canlan’s other complexes throughout Canada.
TheScore will also be able to leverage activation opportunities – including title sponsorships of Canlan’s adult recreational hockey league (ASHL) tournaments, and their player bases of more than 65,000 players annually.
“As a homegrown Canadian company, we know how ingrained adult recreational hockey is in Canada’s culture, and there is no bigger player than Canlan Sports in the adult recreational hockey space,” said theScore’s SVP of marketing Aubrey Levy.
“This deal allows us to meaningfully connect with a huge audience of adult sports fans as well as the culture and passion around recreational hockey.”
In return, Canlan gets to tap into theScore’s vast digital media presence throughout Canada – where it boasts a massive and engaged audience thanks to its ubiquitous media app – with the ability to promote and amplify its brand through theScore’s array of digital advertising assets.
“This collaboration allows us to continue building momentum for our digital transformation, gamification, and enhancing the customer experience by introducing the Canlan Sports brand to wherever sports loving fans consume media,” said Canlan Sports president and CEO Joey St-Aubin.
The partnership is set to formally kick off this fall, while online sports betting is expected to launch in Canada by the end of the year.