With a proudly Canadian foundation and one of Canada’s largest online communities, Bell Media announced today that its Sympatico portal is rebranding as The Loop at TheLoop.ca on Thursday, Dec. 13. The Loop is an entirely new brand destination that enhances and strengthens the most successful content on Sympatico, with more original video hosted by distinctive personalities. The Loop is a new daily destination for busy people, where users can get in the loop about the latest news and information, entertainment buzz, and practical lifestyle advice designed to help make life better and easier. New content channels, including “Living”, “Style”, and “Showbiz”, all have a lifestyle focus with fresh and fun, shareable content. 

The Loop Homepage

“After 17 years of digital innovation and marketplace success, Sympatico was ready for the next stage in its evolution – the bringing together of Bell Media’s content expertise with the incredible digital delivery opportunities of Sympatico,” said Catherine MacLeod, Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. “The Loop is a daily destination with brand-defining correspondents for each content channel, and a whole team dedicated to original video production. The Loop will enhance the experience of our loyal Sympatico audiences with content so effortless and fun, visitors to the site will want to make it part of their daily routine.”

The Loop’s inspiring channels will build on Sympatico’s most successful content and deliver new, engaging and informative lifestyle content that connects with the 25-54 demographic. Each will feature video series and segments from industry experts.

Living
The Loop Living is users’ new BFF: approachable and realistic and not afraid to ask (or answer) the tough questions. The content is smart and engaging, delivered in a genuine, trustworthy tone. It provides the tools to make life better and easier, never forgetting that having fun along the way is just as important. Content highlights include:

• Cynthia Loyst having candid discussions about love and relationships of all kinds, whether with co-workers, friends, or significant others.
• Girl about town Aimee Keane brings visitors the hottest trends in food, drink and style, and how to hit them on a budget.
• Gardening expert and THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW regular Owen Reeves takes the mystery out of gardening for those who don’t remember, or never knew how.
• APP CENTRAL’s Amber MacArthur, takes users into the evolving world of technology and social media, highlighting the latest and greatest apps for busy lives.

Style
From bathroom tile to boyfriend blazers, The Loop Style exposes Canadians to all aspects of personal style without being pretentious. Visitors can expect articles and video that is conversational, accessible, and approachable. The channel includes:

• Video features from international fashion journalism icon Jeanne Beker. In her uniquely Jeanne way, FashionTelevisionChannel’s Beker makes sense of the latest in fashion and culture to help users’ define their own sense of style.
• Experts from THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, including:
• Taking on fashion and trends in a more hands-on way, Peter Papapetrou. discusses what fashion-conscious readers need, and what they really don’t have to care about.
• Sebastien Centner discusses all aspects of entertaining, from décor to great cocktails to recipes.
• Eden Bluestein chats about all things beauty in her bubbly, engaging way.
• Amanda Forrest makes the world of home décor and design much more accessible, broken down into manageable elements that work in real life.

Showbiz
Whether the user’s focus is family, work, or their social life, The Loop Showbiz carefully hand-picks a daily pop culture fix. Friendly and opinionated experts aim to amuse while guiding users through a vibrant mix of news, reviews, and celebrity interviews, like:

• Fun insider interpretation of the best entertainment news with ETALK’s Danielle McGimsie.
• With her penchant for cooking and baking, along with her love for celebrity interviews, E!’s Leah Miller will cook and converse with celebs that may or may not be skilled in the kitchen.

News
In a culture of information overload, The Loop News offers high-quality news and information from CTV News, Canada’s #1 news organization. With a spotlight on those news items that are most meaningful for The Loop audience, The Loop News makes the connection between important events and day-to-day living in Canada.

About The Loop
With more original content, great personalities and fresh focus on lifestyle, The Loop is a new online destination that unifies and strengthens the most successful content from Sympatico to inform, entertain and inspire Canadians.

About Bell Media Digital:
Bell Media Digital delivers the most popular news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle media in Canada through dynamic systems including Canada’s leading online video network, award-winning websites, user-generated content sites, mobile-optimized sites and apps. Bell Media Digital is a division of Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company.