Toronto, ON – (November 10, 2022) – CIBC announced today a new multi-year sponsorship agreement with Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League (CPL) that reflects the organizations’ shared purpose of further strengthening the relationship with Canadian soccer fans from coast-to-coast-to-coast while supporting the growth of the sport at a grassroots level across the country.
“Our CIBC team is proud to support Canada Soccer and the Canadian Premier League as the sport in this country continues to reach new heights and brings Canadians together. We look forward to helping Canada make our mark on a game where everyone belongs and is celebrated for who they are and where they come from,” said Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice- President, Purpose, Brand and Corporate Affairs, CIBC. “As the gold medal winning Women’s National Team prepares for a FIFA World Cup in 2023, the Men’s National Team participates in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in more than 30 years, and the Canadian Premier League enters a milestone fifth season, the genuine enthusiasm of our CIBC team will add significant bench strength to an already passionate fan base.”
The sponsorship will see CIBC’s logo prominently placed on the Men’s, Women’s and Para National Teams’ training apparel and will be displayed proudly at Canada Soccer House in Doha where the Friends and Family will have a dedicated section courtesy of CIBC.
“Today is a landmark day for our organization, and this sponsorship is a game-changer for Canada Soccer and our membership across the country,” added Earl Cochrane, General Secretary, Canada Soccer. “We would like to thank CIBC for their trust in the work we’re doing, and I know we share in the ambition to continue building on our winning legacy and growth as a leading sports brand. I’d like to also welcome CIBC to our Canada Soccer family, and I know that their genuine fandom will be felt at every level of our country’s soccer ecosystem.”
Together CIBC and Canada Soccer will engage fans in new and unique ways on and off the pitch. The two organizations will work together to grow the sport through national grassroots activities with CIBC becoming the title sponsor of Canada Soccer’s national Active Start Soccer Fest program.
CIBC is excited to contribute to Canadian soccer’s ongoing journey to build on the momentum of the sport from coast-to-coast-to-coast by helping enhance the growth of other properties that are core to the sport of soccer in Canada, such as Canada Soccer’s Para Soccer National
Team, League1 Canada and support for the development of the women’s professional game.
CIBC’s logo will also adorn future CPL jerseys as the bank becomes the front of jersey sponsor for the league’s newest club, Vancouver FC, as well as becoming the sleeve sponsor for all other CPL teams.
The sponsorship will positively impact local communities as CIBC, Canada Soccer, and the Canadian Premier League are committed to growing the game of soccer in Canada, starting with young people engaging in the game.
“The Canadian Premier League is thrilled to welcome CIBC to our growing family of corporate sponsors. This historic collaboration is a resounding endorsement for our League, players, supporters and importantly, the communities we serve,” said Mark Noonan, CPL Commissioner and CEO of Canadian Soccer Business. “The entire Canadian soccer ecosystem will directly benefit from the investment Team CIBC is making and we look forward to working with them to bring the beautiful game to life for all stakeholders. Thank you Team CIBC for your belief and incredible commitment to growing soccer in Canada.”
About Canada Soccer
Canada Soccer is the official governing body for soccer in Canada. In partnership with its members, Canada Soccer promotes the growth and development of soccer in Canada, from grassroots to high performance, and on a national scale. Soccer is the largest participatory sport in Canada and is considered the fastest growing sport in the country. There are nearly 1,000,000 registered Canada Soccer active participants in Canada within 1,200 clubs that operate in 13 provincial/territorial member associations. Canada Soccer is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
About Canadian Premier League
Canadian Premier League (CPL), Canada’s Tier 1 domestic professional men’s soccer league, completed its fourth season in 2022, and competes in CONCACAF and FIFA sanctioned series of competitions. Playing in world-class and unique venues, and partnering with strong community-led ownership groups, the CPL brings top tier professional soccer to eight communities coast-to-coast. The CPL has announced plans to expand to nine markets in 2023 with a team in Vancouver, and to grow to 12 teams by 2025. For updates and more information, please go to CanPL.ca.
About Canadian Soccer Business
Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) represents a suite of top tier national assets that are central to the sport of soccer in Canada. This includes representation for all corporate partnerships and media rights (broadcast and distribution) related to Canada Soccer’s core assets included the Qatar 2022-bound Men’s National Team, the Olympic Champion Women’s National Team, the Canadian Championship, along with all rights associated with the Canadian Premier League and League1 Canada.
About CIBC
CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 13 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network and locations across Canada, with offices in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/en/about-cibc/media-centre.html.
For more information: Deborah Rowe, CIBC Communications & Public Affairs, deborah.rowe@cibc.com or 416-586-7019; Laura Armstrong, Sr. Director of Communications, Canadian Premier League, laura.armstrong@canpl.ca
