TSN to air RBC Training Ground national final

The latest edition of RBC’s Training Ground program is nearing its end, and TSN will be airing its first national special.

RBC Training Ground is a national program in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee that seeks to identify “future Olympians” and provide them with the support needed to pursue their goals of making Team Canada. The program has worked with more than 10,000 athletes since its inception in 2016, with previous participants Avalon Wasteneys, Kelsey Mitchell, Lauriane Genest and Jerome Blake reaching the medal podium at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.

The first National Final special, airing Jan. 7 at 10 p.m. will show 30 Olympic hopefuls across Winter and Summer events. Profiles of the “Future Olympians” and footage from the Training Ground competition will be used to show their path to their Olympic ambitions. It will be hosted by Wasteneys and TSN’s Kayla Grey.

Bell Media signed on as the media partner for Training Ground last year after several years producing content with CBC.

Cineplex wins suit against Cineworld, though an appeal looms

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has ruled in favour of Cineplex in its suit against Cineworld, one of the world’s largest theatre chains.

In a statement Tuesday, Canada’s largest theatre operator said the court awarded damages of $1.24 billion. Cineworld said in its own statement that it will appeal the ruling, which awarded Cineplex damages of $1.23 billion for lost synergies and $5.5 million for lost transaction costs.

Cineplex’s suit sought $2.18 billion in damages when it was brought in July 2020 after Cineworld cancelled its $2.8 billion acquisition plans. Cineplex said Cineworld acted in bad faith by delaying the takeover, hoping it would default on a $725 million debt limit needed to secure the deal.

Cineworld filed a counterclaim and said it had terminated the deal, in part, because it had become aware of “certain breaches” by Cineplex in relation to the deal and strayed from the “ordinary course” of business by delaying payments to suppliers and landlords due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cineplex denied the allegations, saying it had complied with the terms of the agreement and that the U.K. firm had “no legal basis” to terminate the deal.

Cineworld’s counterclaim was denied as part of the court’s ruling.

Hivestack gets a stronger foothold in Hong Kong

Montreal’s Hivestack is taking another step in its plan to be the leader in the global programmatic out-of-home industry with help from some of the world’s biggest media agencies.

GroupM, Xaxis, Publicis, Havas and Dentsu have all selected the ad tech company as its programmatic DOOH partner. The agencies will be able to activate against premium programmatic DOOH inventory through Hivestack’s DSP in both open exchange and private marketplace deals. This follows the expansion of Hivestack’s inventory in Hong Kong back in the summer – it can now deliver 210 million monthly impressions, as well as offer local advertisers inside-out buys to other regions.

With files from Victoria Ahearn