This summer’s World Cup of Hockey has signed major sponsorship deals with six of the best known corporate names in Canada, despite tight promotional budgets because of the Olympics in Atlanta later this month.

Susie Mathieu, Toronto-based managing director of the World Cup, says the sponsors are MasterCard, IBM, Nike/Canstar, Canadian Tire, Molson Breweries and Chrysler Canada.

Mathieu won’t reveal how much each of the six sponsors spent to be associated with the World Cup, although she does allow it’s in the ‘big six figures.’

As for second-level sponsors, Mathieu says no deals have been signed yet but she is talking to Pepsi-Cola, Air Canada, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, Hostess Frito-Lay, Colgate-Palmolive and firms in the electronics, telecommunications and confectionery sectors, among others.

Again, Mathieu won’t say how much second-level sponsors will have to pay to be associated with the World Cup, but will say the cost is in the ‘low six figures.’

There are only first- and second-tier sponsorships. Mathieu says she expects to have all deals signed by the last week of July.

Souvenir merchandise, an important part of any event such as the World Cup, has already been arranged. Companies supplying souvenirs include: Future Product, which is producing flags and banners; Nike/Canstar, which is supplying authentic and replica team jerseys; Hunter Manufacturing, which is producing ceramic beer steins, coffee mugs and glass beverage ware; and Karhu Canada, which is supplying hockey sticks

The World Cup of Hockey is a direct descendant of the Canada Cup, best remembered in this country for the last-minute heroics of Paul Henderson, whose winning goal in 1972 brought Canada victory over the Soviet Union. The World Cup’s first face off is scheduled for Aug. 26 and the best-of-three playoffs are Sept. 10, 12, and (if necessary) 14.

The World Cup was arranged by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

The 1996 championship consists of two four-team pools. The North American pool comprises Canada, the U.S., Slovakia and Russia. The European pool takes in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Sweden. Host cities are Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, New York, Philadelphia, Prague, Helsinki, Stockholm and Garmisch, Germany.

The absence of Toronto as a host city was ‘not an omission by choice,’ says Mathieu. Rather, she explains, planned renovations at Maple Leaf Gardens – later cancelled – made the venerable hockey barn in the country’s largest consumer market unavailable.

Mathieu says the estimated worldwide tv audience for the World Cup is 212 million people in the participating countries and others such as Japan, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Poland. The games will be broadcast in Canada by cbc and tsn. cbc is providing the feed for all games played in Canada and the u.s.

To promote the World Cup, cbc has developed a series of tv spots featuring nhl stars who appeared at the league’s awards dinner last month in Toronto.

Mathieu says given the short lead time available to the World Cup – it was only decided to go ahead with the event last December – she expects second-level sponsors will sign on to take advantage of the tv exposure the championship will bring.

All 19 World Cup games will be broadcast in Canada, the u.s. and overseas.

The first-level sponsors, Mathieu continues, will enjoy the tv coverage as well as other typical benefits such as on-site signage and the right to use the World Championship name. Canadian Tire is planning a ‘huge presence’ during the championship, she adds.

According to Canadian Tire, the company plans to use the World Cup logo in its stores to sell World Cup apparel. As well, it will erect stadium and rink signage and mount consumer and in-stadium promotions.

Andrea Ongaro, director of vendor support and event marketing for Canadian Tire in Toronto, says not all the details of the company’s involvement with the World Cup have been finalized, although a contest called The Greatest Moments in Hockey is set.

Based on Canada Cup series in 1972, 1981 and 1987, consumers pick up an in-store ballot to vote for the greatest team, greatest player and greatest goal. The winner will be picked at random. Top prize is 10 tickets to the second – and perhaps final – game at the Molson Centre in Montreal.

Ongaro also confirms Canadian Tire will have a ‘major presence’ on tv during the World Cup games.

Unlike many other international tournaments, the World Cup of Hockey won’t feature players plastered with advertisers’ logos, says Mathieu. Also, no one supplier will provide team equipment. Instead, in return for the massive exposure manufacturers of sticks, helmets, pants and so on will get during the event, they are being asked for an in-kind donation of equipment to the national hockey federations of the participating countries.

Adam Litzinger, director of sales, sports and u.s. sales, at cbc, says there’s been a ‘marvellous response’ from advertisers, with seven of them signed up. They are General Motors of Canada, Chrysler Canada, Molson Breweries, Canadian Tire, Hostess Frito-Lay, AT&T and Subway, the sandwich shop chain.

cbc has already sold about two-thirds of its World Cup inventory and fully expects to sell it all, adds Litzinger.