New survey finds sponsorship spending in Canada reaches all-time high

A new survey has found that spending on sponsorship in Canada reached the highest it has ever been.

The Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study estimates that a total of $4.68 billion was spent on sponsorship in Canada last year, with professional sports, grassports sports and non-profit organizations among the biggest beneficiaries.

The study was officially unveiled at SponsorshipX, a branding and sponsorship conference in Toronto, on Tuesday.

CSLS interviewed 114 brands, 50 properties and 24 agencies for its data in this year's survey, the 20th year it's been conducted.

They also found that spending on rights fees increased significantly after 2022, largely as live events returned following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other factors include the expansion of major professional sports, the debut of new leagues, and the rapid growth of women's pro sports.