THE NATIONAL HOCKEY League (NHL) has become the first of the four major North American sports to sell the title rights to its All-Star Game.
Ontario-based coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons has snapped up the property, slated for January 29 in Ottawa, in a deal valued by Frontiers at between $1m and $2m.
As well as the naming rights to the game, the agreement will see Tim Hortons receive signage around the Scotiabank Arena and its logo at centre ice. The deal is only valid in Canada meaning US coverage of the event will not refer to the game using its title sponsor.
The new agreement will see Tim Hortons extend its presence in ice hockey where it is already an official partner of the NHL in Canada and five of the seven Canadian teams competing in the League, as well as two US-based teams.
The coffee chain is a major supporter of national sport, partnering many Canadian properties, including a longstanding agreement with the Canadian (American) Football League which takes in the season-ending playoffs and Grey Cup championship match. The latest three-year renewal, signed in 2009, is valued at around $0.5m per year. Tim Hortons is also a sponsor of all eight CFL participating teams.
Away from the more mainstream sports, further sponsorship projects of Tim Hortons extend to the Canadian Curling Association and Canada’s most high-profile fisherman, Bob Izumi.
Elsewhere in the NHL, Discover Financial Services has been announced as the official title sponsor of the inaugural Thanksgiving Day game, the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown, in a five year extension to Discover’s official partnership with the League.