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Canadian TV viewing trends

Jo Loup Sep 8, 2023 9:45:00 AM
TV viewing trends in Canada

At the end of each TV season, we create an audience analysis report to provide our clients with quick and easy access to the latest TV viewing trends in Canada.

The seasonality of TV viewing plays a critical role in programming and media planning and buying. In particular, fall remains a key period for the TV industry, as this is when many new and returning shows start. How well the shows perform during this time period determines whether they’ll return in the spring.

While fall is a crucial period for the TV industry, the spring TV schedule also holds significant importance. Mid-season premieres and finales are often aired during the spring, which can make or break a show's success. If we're lucky it can also provide excitement at the end of hockey season if our teams are performing well and appear in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

By analyzing TV viewing trends media planners and buyers can make informed decisions to reach their target audiences effectively. Our hot topic audience report provides valuable insights into TV viewing trends in Canada, including the top-performing stations and programs. With this information, clients can make data-driven decisions to optimize their media strategies and reach their advertising goals.

 

What our TV report covers

  1. Average time spent watching TV by season.
  2. Share of viewing trends by station groups (ie conventional vs specialty TV).
  3. Top performing TV stations including AMA (000s) and share of viewing.
  4. Top performing programs including TV ratings and percentage of live viewing.

Our TV audience analysis report is created using our API, Conex. This is a powerful tool that directly accesses Numeris TV PPM data. This data can then be fed seamlessly into data visualization tools such as Excel or Microsoft PowerBI. 

This means you spend less time creating reports and more time uncovering the insights you need to refine your media strategy. Clients with a TV PPM subscription can access this report either through the Lens platform or from the homepage of InstarTV PPM.

 

Summer 2023 TV viewing overview

  • On average Canadians watched 15.5 hours of TV per week which represents a drop of 7% compared to last summer. 

  • Quebec Franco still has the heaviest viewing. Canadians here watched on average 20.5 hours per week.

  • Men aged 25-54 in the Edmonton and Montreal Franco markets watched slightly more TV this summer than last year (up 8% & 4% respectively)

  • The share of viewing to different station groups has changed very little since last summer with 88% of total viewing going to Canadian conventional and specialty stations.  

Summer 2023 station & program highlights

  • For the adult 25-54 audience the top 5 conventional stations stayed the same as last summer. CTV remains in the top spot with hardly any change to the average minute audience followed by TVA, Global, Citytv and then SRC. 

  • The growth in male 25-54 viewing in Edmonton was driven by viewing of CFL on TSN. The Elks ended their 22 home-game losing streak on August 27th. Viewing to all CFL games this year was on average 50% higher than last summer for this demo in Edmonton.

  • The top 3 shows for Canadians aged 2+ across Total Canada remain the same as last summer with The Amazing Race Canada taking the top spot followed by America’s Got Talent (previously number 3) and then CTV Evening News (previously number 2).

  • The first ever series of Survivor Québec proved popular being the 4th most watched show across Total Canada with an average audience of just over 1m.

 

Top 10 Canadian TV shows for summer 2023

  1. The Amazing Race Canada (CTV Com)
  2. America’s Got Talent (Citytv Total)
  3. CTV Evening News (CTV Com)
  4. Survivor Québec (Noovo Total)
  5. Masterchef (CTV Com)
  6. CTV Evening News Weekend (CTV Com)
  7. Les Chefs! (SRC Total)
  8. Departure (Global Canada Com)
  9. Big Brother (Global Canada Com)
  10. Dans l’oeil du dragon (SRC Total)

Source: Numeris TV PPM data May 29th - Aug 27th, 2023, Ind 2+, Total Canada, conventional stations only, based on consolidated AMA and programs with 3+ airings

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