Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in Canada

Red Seat Ventures, a division of Fox Corporation's Tubi Media Group, has acquired Supercast, a podcast subscription platform founded in 2019. Supercast will continue to operate autonomously under founder and CEO Jason Sew Hoy, and the acquisition expands Red Seat Ventures' creator-focused digital services to unify advertising and subscription monetization and accelerate product and team investment.

Blue Ant Media Corporation completed its acquisition of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. by plan of arrangement, acquiring all outstanding Thunderbird shares in exchange for 5,857,979 subordinate voting shares of Blue Ant and up to $40 million in cash. The deal gives Blue Ant 100% ownership of Thunderbird, includes leadership appointments (Jennifer Twiner McCarron to a Blue Ant Studios role), targets ~$7 million in synergies, and will result in Thunderbird’s delisting from the TSX Venture Exchange.

Chicago private equity firm GTCR has agreed to acquire LiveBarn, a Montreal-based youth and amateur sports streaming service, in a deal valued at roughly $400 million. The acquisition advances GTCR’s strategy to build a platform in the fragmented youth sports ecosystem (Ascent Sports Group); Ares is providing part of the financing and existing investors including Susquehanna Growth Equity and Ares are reported participants in the sale process.

SiteMedia, Canada’s unified B2B platform for industrial and construction intelligence, has acquired STOREYS, the country’s leading online real estate news site. The deal brings STOREYS into SiteMedia’s portfolio of publications to expand coverage across the built environment and add data, events, and premium products to the SITE portfolio.

Dominus Capital has acquired Creative Outdoor Advertising (COA) from Fulcrum Capital Partners, marking Fulcrum’s first exit from Fund VI. COA, headquartered in Gormley, Ontario, is a leading North American provider of street-level furniture out-of-home advertising and will partner with Dominus to pursue continued growth and market expansion.

Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) has acquired 100% of Generis Group, a Toronto-based organizer of executive-level B2B summits. The purchase adds Generis’s one-to-one matchmaking summit format and expands Emerald’s executive-summit portfolio across the U.S. and Europe to drive greater high-value networking and sponsor-led lead generation.

Tokyo-based entertainment operator GENDA Inc. has acquired Player One Amusement Group, a North American provider of amusement gaming equipment and outsourced operations, from private equity firm OpenGate Capital. The deal advances GENDA's roll-up strategy to expand its footprint and sales volume across North America.

Apple has acquired RAC7, the two-person developer behind Apple Arcade launch title Sneaky Sasquatch, bringing the studio in-house to support and grow the game on Apple Arcade. The move is positioned as a capability expansion to bolster Apple’s internal game-development resources ahead of broader gaming plans, including a rumored dedicated games app.

Scrypted Inc. has acquired Chibi Clash, the web3 gaming ecosystem developed by Kuma Games, to integrate Chibi Clash's game engine and web3 technology into Scrypted's Autonomous Virtual Beings (AVB) framework. The acquisition gives Scrypted a live sandbox to prototype and showcase its AI Agent and Gen AI capabilities while preserving existing player assets and tokens.

Toronto-based Blink49 Studios has acquired Pier21 Films to extend its Canadian production reach and expand its comedy and scripted slate. Terms were not disclosed; Pier21 founder Laszlo Barna will exit with an exclusive first-look deal with Blink49 while Pier21 co-CEOs Nicole Butler and Vanessa Steinmetz will depart following closing.

Trifecta Collective LLC, a trade-show platform backed by private equity firm GreyLion, has acquired the Canadian Concrete Expo (CCE). Stuart Galloway, CCE's primary shareholder and president, will remain in his leadership role while the show becomes the fifth addition to Trifecta's events portfolio as the company expands its footprint in the construction and tradeshow markets.

MyHeritage has acquired MesAieux.com, a Quebec-based genealogy service specializing in French-Canadian records, strengthening MyHeritage's presence in Canada and the Francophone market. MesAieux.com — which serves over one million users and houses roughly 15 million Canadian historical records — will have its content published on MyHeritage and its users will gain access to MyHeritage's matching technologies and platform features.

Postmedia Network Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire certain businesses and assets of Saltwire Network Inc. and The Halifax Herald Limited as Saltwire pursues restructuring under Canada’s CCAA. The transaction is intended to preserve local journalism in Atlantic Canada and provide Postmedia with back-office resources and operational infrastructure to support the regional network, subject to union agreements, stakeholder approvals and court approval.

Scholastic has completed its previously announced investment in 9 Story Media Group, acquiring 100% of the economic interest and a minority of voting rights for CAD $250 million (approximately USD $182 million). The deal (signed March 2024, closed June 21, 2024) brings 9 Story's production, distribution and licensing capabilities into Scholastic to expand its content creation, global distribution and merchandising opportunities; sellers included an affiliate of private equity firm ZMC and other selling shareholders.

Banyan Capital Partners has made a growth equity investment in Stagevision Inc., marking Banyan's third platform investment through its Banyan Committed Capital LP vehicle. Banyan is partnering with Stagevision CEO Scott Tomlinson and the management team, who will retain a minority ownership stake to support the company’s continued growth across Canada and the United States.

Toronto-based ZoomerMedia Limited completed the $5.0 million cash acquisition of Curiocity Group Inc., a Calgary-area digital media publisher focused on hyper-local food, experiences and deals. The purchase expands ZoomerMedia's Zoomer Digital Network and strengthens its local reach in Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton) and across Canada, adding Curiocity's large digital audience to ZoomerMedia's portfolio.

OpenGate Capital has completed the acquisition of Player One Amusement Group (P1AG) from Cineplex for CAD 155 million. OpenGate will partner with P1AG’s management and invest in people, infrastructure, deployable assets and systems to support organic growth and pursue accretive acquisitions across North America.

Minute Media has acquired STN Video (formerly SendtoNews), a Victoria, BC–based online video platform and North American sports content distributor that holds highlight rights with major U.S. sports leagues. The deal brings STN's award-winning OVP, a library of more than 2 million videos, and distribution capabilities into Minute Media's Voltax Video ecosystem; financing support for the transaction came from HSBC Innovation Banking and funds/accounts managed by BlackRock. Frontier (a prior investor in STN) will remain a supportive shareholder of Minute Media.

Montreal-based digital media owner Valnet Inc. has acquired CarBuzz, a prominent online automotive publication known for buyer guides, reviews and its BuzzScore rating system. The acquisition expands Valnet's automotive portfolio alongside TopSpeed and HotCars to strengthen audience, traffic and technology capabilities.

Perion Network Ltd. has completed the acquisition of Hivestack Inc., a global full‑stack programmatic digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) platform, for $100 million in cash plus up to $25 million in employee retention and performance‑based payments. The deal gives Perion immediate entry into the DOOH market with Hivestack's platform deployed across 32 countries and is intended to expand Perion's advertising product capabilities and diversify its revenue mix.

Round Hill Music LP has acquired Canada-based independent music company Linus Entertainment, buying its recording and publishing catalogs (including Borealis, Stony Plain, True North and others) and distribution arm Independent Digital Licensing Agency (IDLA). The acquisition adds over 3,000 songs and 20,000 master recordings to Round Hill's portfolio as part of its strategy to invest in and grow iconic music assets.

Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSXV: PMKR) has acquired La Poche Bleue, a Quebec-based sports media and entertainment group, for up to CAD$8.8 million. The deal provides Playmaker with immediate access to the Quebec market and a portfolio of video-podcast properties and branded consumer products; La Poche Bleue's co-founders and managing director will remain with the business.

Ministry Brands, a provider of software and services for faith-based organizations, has acquired Church Motion Graphics, a ministry-focused design studio that creates background graphics and videos for worship environments. The acquisition expands Ministry Brands' media and content capabilities and augments its ShareFaith offering; terms were not disclosed.

Charlotte-based private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners has made a growth investment in Executive Platforms, a curator of executive forums and peer networks. The partnership will support Executive Platforms' expansion into new markets and capabilities while the company's leadership team remains in place and Falfurrias joins the board.

ZoomerMedia Limited (TSXV: ZUM) completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of The Peak Media Collective Inc. for an aggregate purchase price of $5.0 million (consisting of $3.5 million cash and a $1.5 million promissory note). The deal expands ZoomerMedia's digital publishing roster and audience reach by adding The Peak's newsletters, podcasts, and social platforms aimed at modern Canadian business leaders.

Nettwerk Music Group announced a structured growth investment led by Flexpoint Asset Opportunity Fund II, with existing investors Beedie Capital and Vistara Growth participating and remaining on the cap table. The new capital will enable Nettwerk to invest in artists and pursue music catalogue acquisitions to support the company’s continued global growth.

Boyd Gaming Corporation has completed the acquisition of Pala Interactive LLC and its subsidiaries for $170 million in net cash. The purchase gives Boyd Gaming online casino technology, products and expertise to expand its digital gaming presence and complement its land-based operations.

Parsec Capital Acquisitions Corp., a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company, executed a merger agreement with Calgary-based Enteractive Media Inc., a provider of gambling-themed broadcast and streaming content (including its PlayerVision subsidiary). The business combination is intended to take Enteractive public on Nasdaq, providing the company with access to capital to support growth and expansion, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions.

Rumble Inc. completed its previously announced business combination with CF Acquisition Corp. VI, resulting in Rumble becoming a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the ticker symbols RUM and RUMBW. The transaction provided Rumble with approximately $400 million in gross proceeds (including an $85 million PIPE and a $15 million forward purchase), which the company said will fund product and infrastructure development, creator recruitment, marketing, team expansion and future acquisitions.

Mediaocean has acquired Imposium to integrate the startup’s real-time, data-driven video rendering and personalization technology into Mediaocean’s Flashtalking/Lightning Renderer stack. The deal is intended to boost Mediaocean’s CTV and digital video creative personalization capabilities and make scalable, personalized video production available to linear TV advertisers, brands and agencies.

TriWest Capital Partners led an equity financing of over CAD 80 million in A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC), the owner of Kidoodle.TV, valuing the company at more than CAD 600 million. As part of the transaction TriWest Managing Director Jon Spencer joined APMC's board to support the company's next phase of growth and product expansion focused on safe streaming for children.

Valnet Inc. has completed the acquisition of gaming publication DualShockers.com from GRV Media. The acquisition expands Valnet's gaming portfolio alongside sites like GameRant and TheGamer, and DualShockers will be integrated into Valnet's digital publishing network.

Valnet Inc., a Montreal-based digital content investment company, has completed the acquisition of TopSpeed.com, a long-running digital automotive publication founded in 2003. The deal expands Valnet's automotive portfolio (including HotCars.com) and increases its audience scale to roughly 175 million annual sessions across its automotive properties.

Alpha Metaverse Technologies Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Shape Immersive Entertainment Inc. The deal consideration includes cash and common shares of Alpha, milestone share issuances tied to market-cap milestones, and Shape will continue operating as a metaverse/AR/VR studio to expand Alpha’s Web3, NFT and immersive-gaming capabilities.

Smart Post Sound Canada, Inc., a division of Smart Post Sound, Inc., has acquired Vancouver-based Post Modern Sound. Linda McAteer, owner and president of Post Modern Sound, will transition to Executive Vice President reporting to Joe Melody as the business continues to operate under the Post Modern Sound name and expand Smart Post Sound’s geographic footprint.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has entered into an agreement to acquire Haven Entertainment Studios, a Montreal-based studio founded by Jade Raymond. Haven — a team of over 60 developers working on a new live-service AAA multiplayer title for PlayStation 5 — will join PlayStation Studios; financial terms were not disclosed.

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. has completed the acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares of Brunswick News Inc. from J. D. Irving, Limited, adding BNI's daily and weekly newspapers, digital properties and its parcel delivery business to Postmedia's portfolio. The transaction was valued at $7.5 million in cash plus $8.6 million in variable voting shares of Postmedia, and Postmedia says the acquisition expands its national news footprint and parcel delivery capabilities across Canada.

Pioneer Media Holdings Inc. completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Bark Ventures, an NFT play-to-earn game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Pioneer issued 2,857,142 common shares (C$1.75 per share), including 398,671 shares issued to settle Bark's debt, as part of the consideration. The deal supports Pioneer's strategy to build a Web3 ecosystem focused on NFTs, NFT games and DAOs.

ZoomerMedia Limited (TSXV: ZUM) has acquired all of the shares of Freshdaily Inc., the owner and publisher of blogTO. The acquisition brings blogTO's large digital audience (350M+ annual page views; ~6M monthly users) and younger demographic reach into ZoomerMedia to accelerate digital product development and expand advertising and cross-platform offerings. Founder Tim Shore sold the business and will work with ZoomerMedia going forward.

Valnet Inc. has completed the acquisition of Simple Flying, a leading online publisher for aviation news and content founded by Arran Rice. The acquisition will integrate Simple Flying into Valnet’s portfolio of digital publishing brands to expand its presence in the aviation vertical and build on the site’s large audience and brand authority.

ESE Entertainment Inc. entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 9327-7358 Quebec Inc. DBA GameAddik, a Quebec-based gaming technology and performance marketing company. The deal consideration includes cash and common shares of ESE; GameAddik reported CA$24.0 million in revenue and CA$4.7 million in operating income for fiscal 2020, and will operate as ESE's gaming technology unit to strengthen its user-acquisition capabilities and expand into new end markets such as iGaming.

TPG Real Estate Partners (TREP), the real estate investment platform of TPG, has acquired Cinespace Studios, a leading independent sound stage operator with major campuses in Toronto and Chicago. The acquisition will support Cinespace’s planned stage development and workforce expansion while TREP aims to build a best-in-class studio platform and expand community workforce programs like the CineCares Foundation.

Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSX-V: PMKR) acquired 100% of The Nation Network (TNN) and its subsidiary Daily Faceoff (DFO) to establish a presence in Canada and immediately add over 27 million annual users to its audience ecosystem. The aggregate consideration is up to CAD$15 million (cash, shares and an earn‑out), and the deal is intended to expand Playmaker's Canadian reach ahead of broader sports betting legalization in Ontario and to diversify revenue through subscriptions and sportsbook partnerships.

Genius Brands International (NASDAQ: GNUS) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire WOW! Unlimited Media Inc. for approximately US$53 million in cash and stock, creating a combined animation and digital media company. The deal adds WOW!'s Frederator and Mainframe studios, a large YouTube network and contracted production backlog, expanding Genius Brands' production capacity, audience demographics and monetization channels.

Backstage, the freelancer marketplace and application suite for creators, announced the acquisitions of FilmFreeway, Coverfly and Voice123 — transactions supported by investor TA Associates. The deals expand Backstage’s creator tools and talent marketplaces by adding a film festival submissions platform (FilmFreeway), a writers’ discovery and data platform (Coverfly), and a global voiceover marketplace (Voice123).

Penn National Gaming (PENN) agreed to acquire Score Media and Gaming Inc. (theScore) for approximately US$2.0 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction, bringing theScore's media and sports-betting technology into Penn's ecosystem. The deal creates an integrated sports media and gaming company, gives Penn control of theScore's technology stack and accelerates Penn's expansion into the Canadian market; theScore will remain headquartered in Toronto and operate as a stand‑alone business within Penn.

OUTFRONT Media Inc., through its subsidiary Outfront Media Canada LP, has acquired Icewerx Consulting, Inc., adding 19 digital displays in the Edmonton market. The deal increases OUTFRONT's Edmonton inventory to 50 digital displays and strengthens its out-of-home advertising footprint and digital impression capacity in the market.

Outside, the Boulder-based active-lifestyle media company, has acquired Pinkbike and its sister brands CyclingTips and Trailforks to expand its leadership in cycling content and mapping technology. The acquisitions bring large audiences and Trailforks' GPS-enabled trail database into Outside's ecosystem and will be integrated with the company's Outside+ membership.

Urbanimmersive Inc. completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of EGP Technovirtuel Inc. and Graphique ID Solutions Inc., plus the intangible assets of La Clique Mobile s.e.n.c., for an aggregate purchase price of CAD 3.03 million (cash and shares). The deal expands Urbanimmersive's real-estate photography services, adds a DSLR HDR trigger capture app and recurring subscription websites, and is presented as the first step in the company's accelerated growth plan to broaden service capabilities and accelerate adoption of its 3D tour SaaS solutions.

Stingray Group Inc. acquired Calm Radio, a leading streaming service focused on wellness, relaxation and sleep music. The acquisition adds Calm Radio’s curated channels and subscribers to Stingray’s portfolio and will be operated under Calm Radio’s existing leadership as part of Stingray’s content and subscriber growth strategy.