Canadian TV viewing trends

This fall, linear television played an important role as a go-to destination for sports programming, news coverage, returning hit series, and live events. This season was marked by major sporting events such as the MLB Playoffs, CFL Grey Cup and World Junior Championships, which drew in millions of Canadians across the country. Beyond sports, news programming continued to be a trusted source for live coverage of major events, daily newscasts, weather updates and political discussion. Returning series, such as High Potential, 9-1-1, Matlock, Chanteurs masques, STAT and Indéfendable also took to the screen this season, providing entertainment for millions. Live events continue to thrive on linear platforms, as seen with the 2025 Gala de l’ADISQ, which celebrated the best of Québec’s music industry. With so many on‑demand options available, linear TV still provides meaningful viewing experiences that resonate with audiences.

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. Check out the above link on what we are currently seeing in the data!

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:

Fall 2025 TV Viewing Overview

• On average, Canadians 2+ watched 14.4 hours of TV per week this season, up 14% from the summer. Quebec Franco still has the heaviest viewing with Canadians, with 20.8 hours per week spent in front of the television, proving linear television is still a popular choice.
• 53.5% of all TV viewing was to Canadian specialty stations, up 2 percentage points compared to last fall, while Canadian conventional was down 2 points with an overall share of 35.1%. On the other hand, US specialty stations contributed 8.1% of Total TV viewing, in line with what we saw a year ago.
• This fall included the season’s highest rated program, the MLB World Series Playoffs, reaching 25 million Canadians over 7 games, which aired on Sportsnet National+, Citytv Total, and TVA Sports+. The Dodgers ultimately defeated the Blue Jays in Game 7 to win their second consecutive World Series title.

Fall 2025 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-sports specialty station goes to W Network, which secured a #3 ranking this fall, helped by its Christmas movie programming and its Hallmark mystery television series, Mistletoe Murders.
• The Gala de l’ADISQ is an annual awards event that celebrates artists, creators, and professionals in the Quebec music industry, recognizing artistic excellence while showcasing the vitality and diversity of francophone music in the province. This event reached an impressive 2.3 million people in Quebec Franco, underscoring its major cultural impact. This audience included viewers of the Premier Gala, broadcast on Télé-Québec, as well as the Main Gala, which aired on SRC, bringing widespread attention to Quebec’s music scene.
• Excluding news and sports, the top program goes to Chanteurs masqués on TVA Total, with an average audience of 1.5 million Canadians over 13 episodes.

Top 10 Canadian TV shows for fall 2025

(English Canada)

1. MLB WS PLAYOFFS Sportsnet National+
2. MLB LCS PLAYOFFS Sportsnet National+
3. WJC: PRELIM CANADA TSN+
4. HIGH POTENTIAL CTV Total
5. MLB DIV PLAYOFFS Sportsnet National+
6. THE AMAZING RACE CANADA CTV Total
7. BASEBALL: BLUE JAYS Sportsnet National+
8. MLB Postseason 2025 Citytv Total
9. 9-1-1 Global Total
10. BLUE JAYS’ CENTRAL POSTSEASON Sportsnet National+

(Québec Franco)

1. Chanteurs masqués TVA Total
2. STAT SRC Total
3. Indéfendable TVA Total
4. Dumas SRC Total
5. Antigang SRC Total
6. En direct de l'univers SRC Total
7. Infoman SRC Total
8. Tout le monde en parle (en direct) SRC Total
9. La poule aux oeufs d'or TVA Total
10. Alertes TVA Total

Source: Numeris TV PPM, Total Canada, English Canada, Quebec Franco, 9/1/2025 to 1/4/2026, Ind 2+, AvHrsWk(Cap), AMA(000), 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 Executive