Canadian chain sells theater naming rights

How would you like it if you walked up to your favorite theater next week to find it named the Washington Mutual 14 or the Best Buy Theatre @ Main Street? Some people in Canada are feeling that right now as Cineplex and Scotiabank form a partnership.

Following the lead of our new opera house and almost every arena in professional sports, Cineplex Entertainment has entered into a five-year deal with Scotiabank to rebrand theatres in Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Some attendees at last night’s soiree buzzed with concern at a corporate branding trend that continues to encroach upon significant and historic sites, while others pointed out that the former Paramount has always been tied to a brand.

Gone are the familiar Paramount script and bold exterior signage, replaced with temporary signage more appropriate for the boards at a hockey arena. Even the antique bronze railing transplanted from New York’s historic Paramount Theater (shuttered in 1964) has been removed from the area above the escalators. Cineplex currently has a 3-D marquee in the works that is somewhat similar to the recently dismantled one.

For more, go to the Torontoist.