GAMETV/Paramount+ in Canada miniseries Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story taps Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor, Mark McKinney (Superstore), Karen Robinson (Schitt's Creek) and Ennis Esmer (Blindspot) to join cast
"As someone who grew up surrounded by the sport of track and field, it's truly in my blood. My father was a sprinter in Jamaica, and he passed down to me not just his speed, but his passion and deep understanding of the sport. I had the honor of running track for Florida State University, where we won nationals three years in a row. Carl Lewis was a hero of mine – not just because of his dominance, but because he excelled in multiple events, just like I did," said Andrew Bachelor. "The rivalry between Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis is one of the most iconic in sports history. To be a part of bringing that story to life is an incredible honour and a full-circle moment for me."
Mark McKinney, performer, writer and producer of some of the most groundbreaking television made in North America, including Kids in the Hall, will recur in the role of lawyer Walter F. Essanpee in Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story. Meanwhile, SAG and Canadian Screen Award winner Karen Robinson (Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Schitt's Creek) is playing Ben's beloved mom, Gloria, with three-time Canadian Screen Award Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Ennis Esmer (New Metric Media's Children Ruin Everything, The Madness) portraying Ben's doctor Jamie Astaphan. Kristian Bruun (The Recruit, Orphan Black) joins the cast as Ben's coach Charlie Francis and Malaika Hennie Hamadi (New Metric Media's Bria Mack Gets A Life) as intern Khara.
Rounding out the supporting cast is a cavalcade of Canadian comedy talent including Ryan Belleville (Workin' Moms), Darryl Hinds (Second City), Lisa Horner (Kim's Convenience), Emma Hunter (Mr. D, Letterkenny), Suresh John (Mr. D, Last Frontier), Jonathan Langdon (M. Knight Shyamalan's Trap), Gita Miller (Workin' Moms), Andrew Phung (Kim's Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Dewshane Williams (Hello Tomorrow).
The miniseries has also lined up several fun cameos, including appearances by WWE star Chelsea Green and Canadian NASCAR driver Amber Balcaen.
Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is Canadian sprinter Johnson's definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use, going from hero to zero in 9.79 seconds in what some called "The Dirtiest Race in History". The series takes a revealing and satirical look at the events surrounding the legendary race and the scandal behind the scandal. New Metric Media identified and put the project together, entering development on the series with Paramount+ in Canada in 2023.
The series is created by BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated writer Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office, Shelved, Run the Burbs), who serves as showrunner and Executive Producer. New Metric Media CEO Mark Montefiore (Letterkenny, Shoresy, Children Ruin Everything) and director R.T. Thorne will also executive produce, alongside Anderson and Stephan James for Bay Mills Studio. Lana Maclin and Max Wolfond serve as Producer and Supervising Producer, respectively, for New Metric. Thorne (The Porter) and Cory Bowles (Trailer Park Boys) are set to direct.
Set to debut on GameTV and Paramount+ in Canada simultaneously in early 2026, Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is being produced with participation from Ben Johnson and is inspired by extensive research conducted by Canadian author and journalist, Mary Ormsby. New Metric Media is distributing the miniseries internationally.
ABOUT NEW METRIC MEDIA
Based in Toronto, New Metric Media is an award-winning independent entertainment studio specializing in building comedy brands across TV production, live entertainment, distribution, merchandising and licensing. Recipient of Playback's 2022 Production Company of the Year award and the Banff World Media Festival's 2018 Innovative Producer Award, the company's slate of programming includes the hit Crave/Hulu original comedy Letterkenny, the Crave/Hulu Letterkenny spinoff series Shoresy, the CTV/CW/Roku half-hour comedy Children Ruin Everything and half-hour Crave comedy series Bria Mack Gets a Life. New Metric's Letterkenny, Bria Mack Gets A Life and Children Ruin Everything have each been named Best Comedy Series by the Canadian Screen Awards in recent years.
New Metric Media is recognized as a leader in 360-degree brand marketing and its success with Letterkenny and Shoresy off-screen extensions, including beer, collectible merchandise, the sold-out Letterkenny Live stage show and the Shoresy Fall Classic hockey event, set to land in five NHL arenas later this year.
ABOUT BAY MILLS STUDIOS
Bay Mills is a cutting-edge production company founded by actors, producers, and brothers, Shamier Anderson and Golden Globe Nominee Stephan James. Bay Mills is focused on showcasing an eclectic and inclusive lineup of diverse stories from feature films, scripted and unscripted TV, short-form, digital media, and a panoply of other platform-agnostic content. Shamier and Stephan combine their creative expertise and ability to engage global audiences to create groundbreaking content that pushes the boundaries, all while being rooted in entertainment.
ABOUT GAMETV
GameTV is a Canadian channel specializing in game-related programming such as game shows, competition-based shows, reality series and movies. The channel is available in over 6+ million homes in digital basic on IPTV, cable and satellite systems throughout the territory. GameTV is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., a leading global sports media company. Follow GameTV on Facebook.com/GameTV, @GameTVCanada on X and Instagram @gametvnetwork.
ABOUT ANTHEM SPORTS &ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a global multi-platform media company that owns and operates sports and entertainment brands that super-serve passionate communities. Anthem's Entertainment Group includes AXS TV, the ultimate destination for music; HDNET MOVIES and Hollywood Suite, which each boast expansive film libraries packed with iconic classics and modern favorites; and GameTV, featuring popular game shows and competition-based series. Anthem's Sports Group owns iconic wrestling promotion TNA Wrestling; the all-female MMA organization Invicta Fighting Championships; Fight Network, the world's premier combat sports channel; and the North American sports hub Game+. For more information, visit www.anthemse.com.
ABOUT PARAMOUNT+
Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
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