Chop Steakhouse & Bar has entered into a one-year advertising sponsorship with the Toronto Star.

The restaurant chain will be able to insert premium ads in Toronto Star‘s digital activations and newsletters as part of the multi-platform sponsorship, which is the first of its kind struck by the daily. It will be at the forefront of the Star’s sports section with a prominent crown crown above the masthead every day. Additionally, the brand will sponsor an “Ask Me Anything”-style live chat event featuring former Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph and Star sportswriters and launch a contest that gives fans a chance to win restaurant gift cards and Leafs jerseys.

Brett Wills, senior director of marketing at Chop Steakhouse & Bar, said that through this partnership, Chop will be able to leverage year-round visibility to foster a deeper connection with its customers while building a new base of followers.

“This collaboration provides an exciting, authentic way for us to reach Canadian sports fans where they are most passionate – engaging with content that speaks to their interests,” he said. “It’s a perfect blend of flavor and fandom, and we’re excited to build these lasting connections with our customers.”

Brandon Grosvenor, chief revenue officer at Torstar, tells MiC that the strategy behind the partnership was to give Chop a consistent brand presence and strong alignment with one of their key audience segments – sports enthusiasts – across all of its platforms.

“The sponsorship supports a key editorial pillar for the Star and enables us to deepen our engagement with subscribers by delivering additional content across multiple channels, including newsletters and live events as well as print and digital,” he says.

Torstar has been attempting to enhance its media advertising business and attract new sponsors at a critical time for publishers, which have been affected by the lack of advertisers as they shift dollars to other media.

Last year, in an effort to provide advertisers with more audience data, the daily partnered with Integrated Rewards and its Paymi cash back service. The partnership incorporated Paymi into Torstar‘s Save.ca platform, which includes digital coupons and flyers, email marketing activities, newsletters and sweepstakes. This has enabled users now earn cash back on everyday purchases by linking their bank cards or uploading receipts. The partnership also gives brands and advertisers insights into users’ shopping behavior, both in-store and online.

Before that, Torstar launched a pay-per-article option for its casual news readers. The company was the first to partner with micropayment tech firm Axate on a digital wallet called “Pay as you go.” The service allows readers to manage their own funds and pay for stories based on their personal interests.

Torstar boasts more than 10.4 million readers in print and online on its website.