While ticket sellers and hotel operators might still be wondering about the potential success of the upcoming Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, CBC/Radio Canada’s senior director of marketing Jim Kozak says things are looking good from where he’s sitting.

The pubcaster has announced a slate of eight sponsors, including CIBC, Chevrolet, Atoma, Loblaws, OLG, Esso, Maytag and Hotels.com, that will be activating across broadcast and online.

CIBC is the lead sponsor, with multiple broadcast and digital programs during the games, including CIBC Team Next, which celebrates Canadian athletes and CIBC Mentoring Greatness, a digital experience that will allow Canadians to connect with games competitors.

Its sponsorship also extends to the CBC’s mobile coverage of the games, through the CBC Sports app. Kozak says that after creating custom apps for the Sochi Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup that were downloaded by the millions, and then never used again after the games wrapped, the CBC changed its mobile strategy. 

Rather than creating a one-off app that will used during the games and then turned off afterwords, the pubcaster has instead beefed up its CBC Sports app,  so that any new subscribers who sign up during the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games will remain users after the summer.

“With the new strategy we will continue to have a great base coming in for the Pan Am Games, but that will continue to build on the CBC Sports app platform as we head towards Rio,” says Kozak.

Also signed on for the games is Chevrolet, which will present the branded series, Chevrolet Possibilities. Airing during Pan Am/Parapan Am Games broadcast content, the series will tell stories of hometown supporters who helped Canadian athletes through their journey to the games. Online, the automotive company will sponsor Chevrolet Volunteers, which will allow visitors to follow a set of Pan Am Games volunteers during the games.

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