Canada

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has been granted a license to start a sports cable television channel.

The Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic Games (VANOC) said the UBC Thunderbird Arena is the first indoor competition venue in the Host Region to complete construction. The venue will host the men’s and women’s ice hockey, as well as the men’s ice sledge hockey competitions during the 2010 Winter Games.

Asian Television Network International Limited (ATN), which broadcasts to Canada’s three million people of South Asian, East Asian and Arabic heritage, has acquired exclusive broadcast rights in Canada for cricket’s Asia Cup 2008, in a deal with ESPN Star Sports.

The National Hockey League has signed deals with TSN, for media rights in Canada, and with Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc, for Bud Light to remain the league’s official beer.

Canadian cable television sports channels The Sports Network (TSN) and Rogers Sportsnet (Sportsnet) have agreed to jointly televise live all 31 matches from Euro 2008.

Molson agreed a deal with the Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to become exclusive Official Supplier with sponsorship rights in the beer product/service category.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Organising Committee said it has agreed sponsorship agreements worth about $709 million, more than 90 per cent of its overall target of $760 million.

IOC president, Jacques Rogge, has praised the progress of the Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Coca-Cola Canada and RBC agreed a deal with the Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) as exclusive Presenting Partners of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

Sponsorship spending by North American companies is expected to increase 12.6 per cent in 2008 to $16.78 billion, according to IEG Sponsorship Report, the world's leading authority on sponsorship.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) has signed a three-year $1 million sponsorship agreement with Mitsubishi Motor Sales starting from the 2008 CIS winter championship season.

The Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) will unveil all Whistler Olympic and Paralympic competition venues in a ceremony this weekend.

Royal Bank of Canada agreed a deal to sponsor golf’s Canadian Open until 2012.

VANOC, the Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver said that is will exceed its 2007 sponsorship target of $65 million by at least $15 million.

Bank of Nova Scotia agreed a five-year deal with the National Hockey League, becoming the official bank of both the NHL and its players' association.

Clothing brand, Under Armour, has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team.