Canadian TV viewing trends

Linear television once again reminded us of its ability to bring people together around the biggest moments in sports, news, award ceremonies and primetime entertainment. From the Super Bowl and NFL Playoffs to the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, live events played a major role in shaping the season. The Montreal Canadiens’ run to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs also gave fans a major story to follow, marking the team’s deepest playoff run since 2021. Beyond sports, award shows like the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Grammys drew millions of viewers, while hit series including High Potential, Survivor, 9-1-1, Matlock, Indéfendable, La Voix, and STAT continued to top the charts.

In this blog, we’ll share key insights powered by our industry-leading analysis tools, which access both Numeris’ broadcast and cross-platform video data. By analyzing these data sources with our advanced tools, we provide the industry with a deeper, more precise understanding of audience behaviour.

This Season’s Linear TV Viewing Highlights

Understanding the significance of broadcast TV is crucial in today's evolving video landscape. While subscription numbers may suggest a shift towards digital platforms, Numeris' Cross-Platform Video Audience dataset (VAM) provides a more comprehensive understanding of video viewing habits in Canada. With the launch of National VAM in the fall, we can now identify video trends and insights coast to coast. See Canada’s Video landscape at a glance with OneLook, a new public facing resource designed to provide a clear, topline view of video viewing behaviours across Canada.  

After every TV season, we use our API, Conex, to craft a comprehensive audience analysis report for our clients, giving them quick and convenient access to the most up-to-date television viewing trends in Canada. Here are some key highlights from our latest report:

Winter/Spring 2026 TV Viewing Overview

• On average, Canadians 2+ watched 14 hours of TV per week this season, reaching 78% of the country on a weekly basis, consistent with the Fall. Quebec Franco viewers spend the most time watching television in Canada, averaging 21 hours per week, proving linear television is still a popular choice.
• 50.4% of all TV viewing was to Canadian specialty stations, while Canadian conventional had an overall share of 38.5%, up 4 percentage points from the Fall. On the other hand, US specialty stations contributed 8.4% of Total TV viewing, in line with what we saw a year ago. 
• This season included the highest rated program, the Super Bowl, reaching 16 million Canadians. Other big events included numerous award shows, such as the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and the Grammys, as well as the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics and the NHL Playoffs, where the Montreal Canadiens battled through three hard-fought rounds, marking their deepest playoff run since 2021.

Winter/Spring 2026 Station & Program Highlights

• CTV Total takes the top spot for national conventional stations this season, while Sportsnet National+ is number one for Canadian specialty.
• The number one non-news/sports specialty station goes to W Network, which secured a #8 ranking this spring, in line with last year.
• Several networks are seeing strong year-over-year performance gains, with major sports moments playing a key role. CBC is up 35%, no doubt supported by the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February. TVA Sports is also up 35%, helped by the Montreal Canadiens’ run to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. SportsnetOne is up 38%, which lines up with increased interest around the Blue Jays’ 2026 regular season following their World Series appearance the year before.
• Excluding news and sports, the top program goes to High Potential on CTV, which had an average audience of 1.5 million Canadians over 11 episodes, followed closely by Survivor on Global (1.3 million over 13 episodes), which celebrated its 50th season this year.

Top 10 Canadian TV shows for winter/spring 2026 

(English Canada)

1. HIGH POTENTIAL CTV Total
2. NFL PLAYOFFS CTV Total
3. SURVIVOR Global Total
4. 9-1-1 Global Total
5. MATLOCK Global Total
6. Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent Citytv Total
7. TRACKER CTV Total
8. FBI Global Total
9. MILANO-CORTINA2026 DAYTIME CBC Total
10. NCIS Global Total

(Québec Franco)

1. Le hockey des séries éliminatoires : CH ronde 2 TVA Sports+
2. Le hockey des séries éliminatoires : CH ronde 3 TVA Sports+
3. Le hockey des séries éliminatoires : CH ronde 1 TVA Sports+
4. Indéfendable TVA Total
5. LA VOIX TVA Total
6. STAT SRC Total
7. Dumas SRC Total
8. Antigang SRC Total
9. En direct de l'univers SRC Total
10. Alertes TVA Total

Source: Numeris TV PPM, Total Canada, English Canada, Quebec Franco, 1/5/2026 to 5/31/2026, Ind 2+, AvHrsWk(Cap), AMA(000), AvWkRch%, CumRch(000), Program Rankings based on 3+ airings 

At NLogic, we offer a multitude of tools for delving into video viewing habits:

• Lens Video Planner serves as our cutting-edge cross-platform reach and frequency calculator for Total Video strategies.
• Lens for TV provides an effortless way to access key linear TV statistics.
• InstarTV enables a deeper exploration of linear TV audience behaviours.
• InstarVAM taps into the Numeris VAM dataset to unveil a comprehensive view of video consumption.
• Conex stands as our API solution for seamless access to linear TV data for your analytical needs.

To access this report please get in touch with your Account Manager