Canadian Tire Corporation announced Wednesday what it describes as a “landmark” commitment for sponsorship of women’s professional sports.
The retail giant said it will direct a minimum of 50 per cent of its sports sponsorship investment to women’s professional sport, the only major Canadian company to publicly declare an equal investment across women’s and men’s professional sport.
The milestone fulfills a commitment first announced through CTC’s Women’s Sport Initiative in 2023, it added.
“Canadian Tire has long believed in the power of sport to bring Canadians together and create connections that transcend the game itself. Our 50/50 commitment is an important milestone and an expression of that belief,” said Greg Hicks, President and CEO, Canadian Tire Corporation. “Increasingly, fans aren’t distinguishing between men’s sport and women’s sport. They simply want to watch great sport. As women’s sport becomes more visible and accessible, more Canadians will get to celebrate the exceptional athletes, competition, and moments it is creating.”
“The first chapter of our Women’s Sport Initiative was rooted in belief and investment. The next chapter is about being a catalyst for fandom,” said Eva Salem, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Canadian Tire Corporation. “We know Canadians are ready. The opportunity now is to help more people discover the incredible athletes, rivalries, competition, and moments that make sport meaningful. When visibility grows, fandom grows, creating stronger leagues and a clearer pathway for girls and women in Canada. Ultimately, the entire women’s sport ecosystem will be stronger.”
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a group of companies that includes a Retail segment, a Financial Services division and CT REIT. Its retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922. Party City, PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The Retail segment also includes Mark’s and sports retailers SportChek, Sports Experts, Pro Hockey Life, Hockey Experts, and Atmosphere. The company has over 1,600 retail and gasoline outlets.
Canadian Tire said it is now focused on tackling the next challenge facing women’s sport in Canada: visibility. Through its marketing platforms, sports and media partnerships, and national reach, CTC said it will help more Canadians discover the athletes, teams, and leagues shaping the future of sport.
Canadian Tire this week launched a new ad featuring exceptional female athletes – the first step in a national campaign, a rallying cry it calls We’ll Make a Fan Out of You.
“Despite the rapid growth of women’s professional sport in Canada, building broader exposure and sustained reach remains a significant challenge: 75% of Canadians say they are fans of women’s sport, however 62% of fans say they do not know where to find the sport they want to watch,” said the company in a news release.
“Putting its fan-focus into action, Canadian Tire will become presenting partner of the PWHL on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, helping bring elite women’s hockey to one of the most iconic broadcasts in Canadian sport and to fans across the country.”
It said the We’ll Make a Fan Out of You campaign is designed to introduce more Canadians to women’s professional sport through media partnerships, broadcast and social content, and fan experiences.
“The campaign reflects Canadian Tire’s goal to make women’s sports impossible to ignore. Because when women’s sport isn’t visible, it loses more than just audiences, it limits what the next generation of girls can see, imagine, and believe is possible,” it said.
Canadian Tire said the Women’s Sport Initiative builds on a legacy of leadership and advocacy for women and girls in sport. In 2015, Martha Billes, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) and Board Director, Canadian Tire Corporation, brought together leaders from across the sport sector to address the disproportionately high rate at which girls were leaving sport. That work helped inspire Jumpstart’s Girls in Sport programming and laid the foundation for the Women’s Sport Initiative. Today, Jumpstart’s Play to Lead program continues to help girls and young women overcome barriers to participation while building confidence, leadership skills and meaningful connections through sport, it explained.
Canadian Tire and SportChek are founding partners of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and the Northern Super League and an official partner of the Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team.
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