After years of managing sponsorship sales in-house, NFL Canada has tapped TTG Partnerships to develop its commercial assets and market them to potential sponsors.

The Toronto-based sponsorship agency was selected after a two-month RFP process. David Thomson, managing director of NFL Canada, said audiences for NFL content in Canada have been growing in the last year, and it seemed like the right time to bring in a third party on sponsorships.

“We have momentum on our side,” he told MiC. “Business is growing year-over-year in both our fan-base and our TV audience base, so it’s a great time to continue and grow our sponsorship.”

Partners of the NFL Canada include Nissan, Labatt, Pepsico and Visa, but Thomson said with a new agency partner, NFL Canada is hoping to expand into new categories and pair with other brands that are eager to align themselves with football.

He pointed to NFL Canada’s recent partnering with Cineplex Entertainment on a sponsorship deal that will bring Sunday Night Football and the Super Bowl to Cineplex theatres for the next three years. He described the partnership as a “breakthrough” and an example of a sponsorship that will catch attention in new ways.

Thomson was not able to disclose the terms of TTG’s contract, including its length.