at 353 Lake St., That’s Entertainment immediately made a name for itself during the video store boom of the late 80s and early 90s. Boasting thousands of titles on VHS and Betamax, That’s Entertainment was a one-stop shop for an amazing night in.
By 1994, the home video format wars were long over, and VHS had been crowned king. But what to do with the store’s extensive Betamax catalog? Inspired by the buzz surrounding the new independent film Clerks, management at That’s Entertainment decided to hold a rooftop ball hockey game — dubbed the Battle of the Formats — as a promotional stunt. Team VHS and Team Betamax would grind it out for three periods, with the winning team’s tapes remaining available for rent, while the losing team’s stock would be marked for sale at a steep discount.
was highly advertised, and on the day of the game, hundreds of movie fans filled That’s Entertainment to watch a live CCTV-feed of the game on the store’s countless TVs. Most hoped for a Betamax victory — tantalized by the prospect of cheap VHS tapes — but management enlisted the goalie of the St. Catharines Falcons — Matt Langsford — for Team VHS.
Team Betamax’s best efforts, Langsford posted a shutout, and Team VHS won 3-0. As soon as the game finished, all Betamax stock was marked for sale at a 50% discount, and the store’s entire library of the failed format quickly dwindled to nothing.
Check out the full Hidden St. Catharines Sports installation at Mahtay Cafe.
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