Coca-Cola has teamed up with Cricket Canada to become the official drink sponsor of the association. This deal comes at a time when cricket is experiencing a significant growth in the country.

Under the agreement, Coca-Cola’s brands will appear on the official kits and training gear of the Canadian teams. The partnership also extends beyond the field, with both companies exploring collaborative initiatives to further enhance the sport’s accessibility, popularity and engagement with players and fans across the country, according to a release.

The deal was secured by Boundaries North, an initiative led by WEIC Sports United (formerly Teams Canada). It’s the first major announcement of the partnership between Cricket and Boundaries North, which was launched last April.

Cricket Canada president Rashpal Bajwa tells MiC that this new sponsorship marks an important milestone in the sport’s growth in the country. Cricket Canada has had major sponsors in the past, such as CIBC, Etihad Airways and Scotiabank, but not recently.

According to Bajwa, grassroots participation and professionalization of the sport have accelerated in the last decade in the country. “Cricket is also already deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of many communities in Canada,” he says, adding that the growth has been due to several factors, including the country’s changing demographics. “There is a large population of new Canadians from traditional cricket-loving nations who are playing, following and celebrating the sport like never before.”

Also, with the national men’s team qualifying for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time and the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games, Canadians are excited to support the teams and celebrate their successes, according to Bajwa.

This growth represents an opportunity for Canadian brands to reach a diverse and engaged audience, which hasn’t always been easy to connect with, says Boundaries North CEO Rahul Srinivasan. According to him, this includes not only traditional cricket fans, but also people attracted to the sport’s growing profile, such as newcomers, young professionals, families and expatriate communities.

“Moreover, partnerships with cricket organizations offer advertisers opportunities for unique and fully integrated marketing campaigns,” Srinivasan says. “This allows a multi-faceted brand exposure and engagement opportunities that are not readily available in the North American sports landscape.”

According to a research conducted by Toronto-based agency CulturaliQ, which surveyed more than five million cricket fans in the country, 68% of people follow the sport at least once a week. The agency found that cricket is popular among Canadians with an ethnic heritage from South Asia, the West Indies, South Africa, Australia and England. And that, like other sports, fans like to watch cricket in groups, with 77% of South Asian respondents seeing matches as a family and making it a special occasion.

Going further, CulturaliQ also discovered that cricket fans are willing to spend more for healthier, ecologically friendly, organic products. They also like to try new brands and are open to travel, especially South Asian and Black people.

“Cricket is one of Canada’s fastest growing sports, with an estimated of five million fans,” John Stevenson, CulturaliQ founding principal, tells MiC. “It’s expected that 2024 will bring the highest cricket viewership ever.”