Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough unseals 25-year-old time capsule
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Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Paramount buys UFC rights in $7.7-billion deal with TKO Group
Paramount will become the new home to Ultimate Fighting Championship events across the U.S. next year, through a seven-year agreement announced with TKO Group on Monday. The news comes just days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger – kicking off the reign of a new entertainment giant after a contentious endeavour to get the transaction over the finish line. Under the deal with UFC, Paramount will exclusively distribute UFC's full lineup of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 'Fight Nights' on its streaming platform Paramount+ – with select numbered events also set to simulcast on CBS – starting in 2026. It's a shift away from the UFC's existing pay-per-view model, which Paramount and TKO say will allow the mixed martial arts programming to reach more consumers nationwide. 'Paramount's advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms,' David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said in a statement. 'Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy – driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC's year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win.' Opinion: Opinion: All the rage: How the UFC became America's most important (and misunderstood) political powerhouse Mark Shapiro, president and COO of TKO, added that the deal will mean 'deeper engagement for UFC's passionate fan base' and that its athletes 'will love this new stage.' UFC events currently air on ESPN – which has offered tiered pricing for fans to view content across the sports network's TV offerings and streaming platform ESPN+ since 2019. UFC's partnership with Disney-owned ESPN runs through the end of 2025. The seven-year deal between Paramount and TKO has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, the companies said Monday – marking a notable jump from the roughly $550 million that ESPN reportedly pays each year for UFC coverage today. But UFC's new home on Paramount will simplify offerings for fans − with all content set to be available on Paramount+ (which currently costs between $7.99 and $12.99 a month), rather than various pay-per-view fees. Paramount also said it intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. 'as they become available in the future.' While now a done deal, the path toward approval for the Paramount and Skydance merger was far from smooth sailing. Months of scrutiny and turmoil surrounded the transaction – particularly amid President Donald Trump's legal battle with '60 Minutes,' the crown jewel of Paramount-owned broadcast network CBS. With the spectre of the Trump administration potentially blocking the hard-fought deal with Skydance, Paramount agreed to pay a $16 million settlement to the president in early July. The deal later received regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Trump has long been friends with UFC CEO Dana White and routinely attends UFC events. Last month Trump said that he's thinking of staging a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards of 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence. Trump announced his plan in Iowa during the kickoff for a year's worth of festivities to celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. White said in a post on social media platform X that the deal with Paramount will make it more affordable and accessible for U.S. consumers to watch UFC events. 'This deal puts UFC amongst the biggest sports in the world,' he wrote. 'The exposure provided by the Paramount and CBS networks under this new structure is a huge win for our athletes and anyone who watches and loves this sport.' Aside from the UFC, TKO also houses the WWE and has been actively working out deals for the sports entertainment company. Last week Disney announced an agreement with WWE that will see its premium live events, like WrestleMania , streamed by ESPN. Disney subsidiary ESPN struck a rights agreement with TKO Group's WWE to become the exclusive U.S. domestic streamer of the sports entertainment company's premium live events starting next year. Aside from gaining access to WrestleMania, ESPN will also air marquee events such as the Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Survivor Series. The wrestling events will be available on ESPN's new streaming service, which is set to launch next month, with select ESPN cable channels also airing them. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but The Wall Street Journal said that it's a five-year deal worth more than $1.6 billion. Shares of TKO jumped over 7% in midday trading on Monday.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Prince Harry, Meghan and Netflix extend partnership for streaming programs
In this Jan. 7, 2020, file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave Canada House in London. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) LOS ANGELES — Prince Harry and Meghan have extended their partnership with Netflix and their media company, Archewell Productions, with a multiyear, first-look deal, the couple announced Monday. Archewell began collaborating with the streaming giant in 2020 and have produced a handful of documentary content, including the popular 'Harry & Meghan.' The Duchess of Sussex also developed a lifestyle brand, As Ever, in partnership with Netflix. The collaboration has also produced the documentary series' 'Polo,' 'Heart of Invictus' and 'Live to Lead.' 'My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision,' Meghan said in a statement. The couple and Netflix also announced upcoming collaborations, including a second season of, 'With Love, Meghan,' a lifestyle and cooking show starring the duchess. The show will also receive a special holiday episode in December. The show is Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its March release, according to the company. It ranked low compared to other releases in the first half of this year, with 5.3 million views, according to Netflix's semiannual report. 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,' a documentary short film that centres on a small orphanage in Uganda's Masaka region, is also set to release this year. Archewell is also in production with Netflix on a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune's novel 'Meet Me at the Lake.' The drama 'follows a decade-spanning love story that begins with a chance encounter and a broken promise,' the statement read. 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself,' Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. Their extended deal with Netflix is the latest in the couple's yearslong effort to develop business ventures in the United States. They had also penned a multiyear deal with Spotify in 2020 and produced a podcast, ' Archetypes, ' but cut ties with the company in 2023. The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and are living in California with their two young children. Itzel Luna, The Associated Press
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Toronto hosts first North American Korean culture expo
K-EXPO Canada took over downtown Toronto this weekend. The event featured over 60 companies and agencies, showcasing the latest in Korean culture. Some of the biggest names in K-pop were also there. CBC's Naama Weingarten has the story. Thousands of people attended a Korean culture, businesses and products event in Toronto this weekend. The exhibition at Meridian Hall marks the first time K-EXPO has been held in North America. In previous years, it was held in France, Indonesia and Vietnam. "Korean culture is very good at making things look futuristic and glamorous, so it's attractive in that way," said Alvin Montano, who attended the expo. "It looks so otherworldly," he said. "That translates to their culture, food and media as well." This year's event was free to enter and included booths for Korean beauty, known as K-beauty, K-pop, gaming and animation. There were also Korean food tastings. Concert sells out on Ticktmaster The expo hosted a K-pop concert Sunday evening — which sold out on Ticketmaster — featuring performances by bands Cravity and Fifty Fifty. K-pop has something for everyone, says Pat Nuevaorlando, who attended the concert on Sunday. She says the music genre encompasses hip-hop and mellow tunes. It's also an "easy icebreaker" to make friends, Nuevaorlando said. "It's very inviting and fun, that's what makes K-pop so popular, especially in a city like Toronto," she added. The Sunday concert hosted 3,000 people and was sold out in just two minutes, organizers told CBC Toronto. The expo hosted a K-pop concert Sunday evening — which sold out on Ticketmaster — featuring performances by bands Cravity and Fifty Fifty. The Sunday concert hosted 3,000 people and was sold out in just two minutes, organizers told CBC Toronto. (Prasanjeet Choudhury/CBC ) Jamie Deleon, who attended the expo, said she grew up with K-pop after being introduced to the groups Twice and Blackpink. "You don't have to understand the language for music to speak to you and I feel like for me, K-pop does that really well," she said. Deleon said the songs are often written in ways that are particularly poetic, compared to Western pop music. For attendee Zachary Comeau, his interest in Korean TV shows drew him to the expo. He said the shows have much better writing and unique concepts compared to North American programs. "Nothing really advances in North America, to be honest," he said. "Korea's got it figured out." K-EXPO is jointly organized by various Korean government agencies, according to its website. These government agencies have successfully promoted Korean media and popular culture through events like K-EXPO, said Michelle Cho, assistant professor of East Asian popular culture at the University of Toronto. "They understand that events like this that are in-person [and] involve an experiential element can be really important … and trigger an interest in Korean culture and society," she said. Sparking an interest in one area, such as K-beauty, could result in a chain reaction where a fan then becomes interested in K-dramas or indulging in Korean food, she said. Ultimately, Cho said a fan's interest could lead them to visit Seoul on their next vacation. "This is all interconnected in a way," she said. Stacey Harris, who visited the expo and attended Sunday's concert, said she has visited Korea three times since she became interested in BTS, a massively popular K-pop group. She said she learned a lot at the expo, such as the symbolism and meaning behind South Korea's flag. Korean culture is "something new [and] exciting, but there's also some universality to it," Harris said. Toronto integrates Asian culture in daily life: professor Korean cultural industries have also successfully maintained a certain type of "national brand," Cho said. For example, while she said Korean beauty products are not exclusively from Korea, consumers still associate them with Korean culture "as a very contemporary, future oriented and technologically advanced culture and society." The expo had Korean food tastings for attendees. This might spark interest in learning more about Korean culture, said Michelle Cho, an assistant professor of East Asian popular culture at the University of Toronto. (CBC) Cho compared the global spread of Korean culture to how Hollywood exported culture across the world. "I think South Korea is really learning from that and trying to pursue a similar strategy," she said. Cho said she expected a particularly high turnout at this year's expo in the wake of the smash Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters — written and co-directed by Toronto's Maggie Kang — which she said reflected the crossover appeal of Korean culture. While she said the expo could have been hosted in a variety of cities in North America, Toronto stands out because of how Asian culture and food is a part of daily life. Cho, who is Korean American, moved to Canada 10 years ago. When she mentioned her heritage to people at the time, she said most questions she was asked were about North Korea and geopolitics in the region. But now, the main association she says she sees is related to popular culture. "That change is tremendous," she said. "You can imagine what things might be like there … and the culture is not totally foreign." K-EXPO Canada will go on until Tuesday.
