MiQ has entered into a partnership with the Canadian Football League (CFL) to offer brands the opportunity to leverage programmatic targeting tech and deliver tailored omnichannel creative to fans across the country.

Under the deal, MiQ will help enhance the overall CFL experience by connecting people with more relevant ads tailored to their preferences and lifestyles, while allowing more Canadian brands and businesses to take advantage of the CFL’s national platforms, according to the league. The CFL’s ad inventory on its web properties, virtual branding overlays on broadcasts and stadium LED signage will be powered by audience and channel data from 280 sources through MiQ’s partnerships with industry leaders in the Canadian data ecosystem.

The partnership marks the first time a Canadian sports league will directly enable advertisers to capture customized segments of its audience based on their personal viewing, browsing and buying habits, according to MiQ. Historically, the major sports leagues have sold this inventory directly.

“While organizations like the CBC have introduced programmatic to sports programming during the most recent Olympic games, this is the first time a partnership like this is being done directly with a major sports organization in Canada,” says Jason Furlano, chief growth officer at MiQ North America.

Furlano tells MiC that the scale the CFL provides made them a natural fit for MiQ. The league has also experienced steady growth, with the upcoming introduction of flag football at the 2028 Olympics, which has broadened the fan base to include more youth, women and communities.

In 2024, one in three Canadians tuned in during the CFL regular season and an average of more than 22,000 fans packed stadiums, representing a 2.1% increase over the previous year.