Montana’s BBQ and Bar has taken over from Tim Horton’s as title sponsor of the iconic Canadian sports event, the Brier.

The 2024 Montana’s Brier, presented by AGI, will take place from March 1 to March 10 at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

“We knew that there would be a great deal of interest from a sponsorship perspective when we started the process to find a new partner for the Brier,” says Danny Lamoureux, interim CEO of Curling Canada. “The Montana’s brand is known from coast-to-coast, just like the Brier, so it’s a perfect fit and I have a feeling there will be some wonderful opportunities for both Montana’s and Curling Canada as we work together down the road.”

The sponsorship deal is a multi-year one for Montana’s, which has nearly 100 locations across the country. The restaurant is the fifth title sponsor of the Canadian men’s curling championship, following MacDonald Tobacco, Labatt Breweries, Nokia and Tim Hortons. The event began in 1927.

“The opportunity for Montana’s, Canada’s home for BBQ, to be affiliated with a historic and quintessential Canadian event like the Brier is an honour,” says Yianni Fountas, director of marketing for Montana’s. “We’re proud to be associated with the elite group of partners involved with Curling Canada’s Season of Champions and look forward to bringing our BBQ lifestyle to future events, supporting athletes at all levels and growing Canada’s game across the country.”

Fountas says the agreement with Curling Canada was built as a multi-faceted partnership, providing Montana’s with title sponsorship, event integration, national media and community engagement commitments across Curling Canada’s Season of Champions. An omnichannel campaign is currently in development to support Montana’s role as sponsor of the Brier, extending beyond traditional media and integrating across Montana’s network of restaurants.

He explains that conversations started directly with Curling Canada but quickly moved to UNITE Partnerships, who brokered the agreement and have been involved in a consulting capacity since the agreement was finalized. Media placement for the season will be handled by Montana’s media agency, Genuine Retail Media. Montana’s is currently in the process of finalizing the partner agency that will be responsible for the creative concept.

The 2024 Montana’s Brier, broadcast from start to finish on TSN/RDS2, will be the 95th edition of the Canadian men’s championship. Three teams have already qualified to play in the 2024 Montana’s Brier.

The Brier has been played in 32 cities across Canada, from Victoria to St. John’s. Teams from Alberta have won 29 times, followed by Manitoba with 27 titles. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut have yet to win.