OTTAWA, July 31, 2019 /CNW/ – Alterna Savings and Alterna Bank (Alterna) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced an exciting new partnership, making Alterna the official and exclusive financial institution for the NLL in Canada. The partnership brings together Canada’s most innovative financial institution and the largest and most successful men’s professional lacrosse league.
“We’re thrilled about this partnership. Alterna has a long history of helping Canadians reach their financial goals and helping communities thrive, and we’re very proud to support a sport that is so deeply-rooted in Canadian history,” says Rob Paterson, President and CEO of Alterna. “As Canada’s national sport, lacrosse has been played by Indigenous Peoples for hundreds of years. Today, lacrosse is an action-packed game that makes for exhilarating yet affordable entertainment for the whole family. We’re so pleased to be bringing communities together through lacrosse and helping this important sport continue to grow.”
Founded in 1908, Alterna Savings is known for its high-touch service and community roots across Ontario, while Alterna Bank is a national digital bank known for its innovation; it was the first bank to introduce a digital end-to-end mortgage experience. Alterna is also the proud sponsor of NLL teams Toronto Rock and Vancouver Warriors; this new partnership with the NLL takes Alterna’s involvement in lacrosse to a whole new level.
“We’re excited to team up with yet another great brand to form this unique partnership with Alterna, which has proudly served its customers in Canada for more than a century.” NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz said. “The inaugural Alterna Cup will be an exciting competition amongst our five Canadian teams and bring an added twist of competition to delight our tremendous fans in the Great North. As we continue to expand our league, it’s essential that we align ourselves with successful organizations like Alterna to make our league even stronger.”
The NLL is North America’s largest and most premier professional lacrosse league, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports, with 13 teams in key markets across North America. The NLL experienced substantial growth last season with nearly a million total ticket sales, a 28-percent increase from 2017-18, and 60 percent of ticket sales were from people who never played lacrosse. Digital viewership also rose significantly through Turner and B/R Live, showing substantial increases in total unit sales (up 151 percent from last year), average unique viewers (+27 percent) and average minute audiences (+14 percent).
Alterna is the latest key brand to join the NLL roster that includes GEICO and Michelob Ultra, as well as US Lacrosse and USBOXLA. Sponsorship revenues are projected at a 29-percent increase from 2018 to 2019.
For the 2019-20 season, a new season-long competition has been created among the five Canadian franchises, based on head-to-head competition between the Calgary Roughnecks, Halifax Thunderbirds, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock and Vancouver Warriors. The team with the best record in those games will be crowned the Canadian champion and receive a new trophy called the Alterna Cup. The cup design will be released in the coming months.
About Alterna
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited (Alterna) has been the Good in Banking for 111 years! Alterna is made up of Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterna Bank. Together, it has $8 billion in assets under management. As the first full-service, member-owned co-operative financial institution outside Quebec, Alterna Savings shares its expertise with more than 167,000 members through a network of 35 branches across Ontario, that includes partners Toronto Municipal Employees’ Savings and City Savings Credit Union, as well as call centres and digital channels. Members and customers also benefit from industry leading online brokerage and investment management services and have access to the largest surcharge-free ATM network in Canada through THE EXCHANGE® Network, with over 3,700 ATMs to serve them.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
SOURCE Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited
