While Canadian TV revenues are contracting, digital advertising is booming, signaling a dramatic reshaping of where audiences and advertisers are placing their bets.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Canadian English-language conventional television stations had total revenues of $1.18 billion, a 6.3% decline from 2021.
- French-language private conventional TV stations in Canada reported $512 million in revenues in 2022, down 2.1% year-over-year.
- Advertising revenues for Canadian specialty, pay and VOD services reached $2.47 billion in 2022, up 4.5% from the previous year.
- In 2022, Canadian FM radio stations generated $1.45 billion in total revenues, up 7.8% from 2021.
- Advertising revenues for Canadian radio totaled $1.39 billion in 2022, a 8.2% increase YoY.
- Canadian AM radio revenues were $58.4 million in 2022, down 1.5%.
- In 2022, daily newspaper circulation in Canada was 15.2 million, down 5% YoY.
- Canadian newspaper ad revenues totaled $1.2 billion in 2022, decline of 8%.
- Print ad revenues for newspapers fell to $800 million in 2022.
- In 2022, digital news consumption in Canada reached 85% penetration among adults.
- Canadian digital ad spend totaled $12.5 billion in 2022, 65% of total ad market.
- Online video ad revenues $3.2 billion in Canada 2022.
- In 2022, Canadian film production volume was $1.3 billion in incentives.
- Telefilm Canada invested $220 million in feature films 2022-23.
- Box office revenues Canada $1.1 billion in 2022, recovering 70% pre-pandemic.
The Canadian media industry saw television and newspaper revenues decline while radio and digital platforms grew.
Digital Media
- In 2022, digital news consumption in Canada reached 85% penetration among adults.
- Canadian digital ad spend totaled $12.5 billion in 2022, 65% of total ad market.
- Online video ad revenues $3.2 billion in Canada 2022.
- Social media ad spend $4.1 billion CAD in 2022.
- Search ad revenues Google-dominated at $6.8 billion in 2022 Canada.
- 92% of Canadians online daily in 2022.
- Average internet use 20 hours/week per Canadian 2022.
- OTT video subscribers 14 million in Canada 2022.
- Netflix Canadian subscribers 7.5 million in 2022.
- Crave (Bell) had 3.2 million subs in 2022.
- Digital news site monthly reach 75% of Canadians 2022.
- Programmatic ad buying 55% of digital display ads 2022 Canada.
- Mobile ad spend $5.6 billion, 45% of digital total 2022.
- Canadian podcast listeners 12 million monthly 2022.
- YouTube monthly users Canada 30 million in 2022.
- Facebook ad revenues in Canada $2.3 billion 2022.
- Online news/video consumption 4 hours/day average 2022.
- CTV News digital monthly uniques 15 million 2022.
- Global News app downloads 5 million cumulative 2022.
- Canadian digital publishers revenues $1.8 billion 2022.
- Influencer marketing spend $200 million Canada 2022.
- E-commerce ad spend digital $3.5 billion 2022.
- TikTok users Canada 15 million monthly 2022.
- Broadband households 95% in Canada 2022.
- 5G adoption 25% smartphone users Canada 2022.
- Online gaming revenues $2.1 billion Canada 2022.
- Streaming music listeners 80% Canadians 2022.
- Spotify Canada paid subs 6 million 2022.
Digital Media Interpretation
The Canadian media landscape is now a digital snow globe we can't stop shaking, where every scroll, click, and stream funnels billions into a market dominated by a few giants, proving we're not just consuming news and entertainment online—we're practically mainlining it.
Film and Cinema
- In 2022, Canadian film production volume was $1.3 billion in incentives.
- Telefilm Canada invested $220 million in feature films 2022-23.
- Box office revenues Canada $1.1 billion in 2022, recovering 70% pre-pandemic.
- Canadian theatrical admissions 85 million in 2022.
- Top Canadian film 'Brother' grossed $3.2 million domestic 2022.
- Documentary films box office $25 million Canada 2022.
- Cineplex theatre chain 80% market share Canada 2022.
- Canadian content screen quota 10.5 hours/week per theatre 2022.
- Film festivals TIFF attendance 500,000+ in 2022.
- Hot Docs documentary festival 100,000 attendees 2022.
- Canadian film exports $150 million annually avg 2022.
- VFX industry Canada $4 billion revenues 2022.
- Vancouver film production $1.2 billion spend 2022.
- Toronto film/TV production $2.5 billion 2022.
- Montreal film incentives attracted $800 million prod 2022.
- Feature film CanCon spending $400 million 2022.
- Independent film distributors revenues $120 million 2022.
- Cinema ad revenues $150 million Canada 2022.
- IMAX screens Canada 25 in 2022.
- Average ticket price $13.50 CAD in 2022.
- French-language films box office $85 million 2022.
- Animation production Canada $1 billion 2022.
- Netflix original Canadian films 15 titles 2022.
- Film employment 200,000 jobs supported 2022.
- Streaming film viewership 60% of total video 2022.
Film and Cinema Interpretation
While Telefilm Canada’s investments and substantial incentives fuel a $4 billion VFX powerhouse, the domestic theatrical experience is being squeezed like an arthouse film at a multiplex, clinging to quotas and festivals as box office revenues and admissions try to inch their way back toward pre-pandemic levels.
Print Media
- In 2022, daily newspaper circulation in Canada was 15.2 million, down 5% YoY.
- Canadian newspaper ad revenues totaled $1.2 billion in 2022, decline of 8%.
- Print ad revenues for newspapers fell to $800 million in 2022.
- Digital ad revenues for Canadian newspapers rose 12% to $400 million in 2022.
- Toronto Star daily circulation 300,000 copies in 2022.
- National Post print run averaged 120,000 in 2022.
- La Presse daily digital subscribers 250,000+ in 2022.
- Canadian magazine revenues $650 million in 2022, down 3%.
- 72% of Canadians read print newspapers weekly in 2022.
- Sunday newspaper circulation 4.5 million in Canada 2022.
- Newspaper employment in Canada 12,500 full-time in 2022.
- Retail ads 35% of newspaper ad space in 2022.
- Classified ads down 20% to $150 million in newspapers 2022.
- Globe and Mail subscribers 350,000 digital/print 2022.
- Montreal Gazette circulation 100,000 daily 2022.
- Community newspapers number 1,000+ in Canada 2022.
- Magazine consumer revenues $450 million in 2022.
- Trade magazines revenues $200 million 2022.
- Print media ad spend 8% of total media market 2022.
- Vancouver Sun circulation 85,000 daily 2022.
- Ottawa Citizen print readers 200,000 weekly 2022.
- Canadian periodical publishers 1,200 active in 2022.
- Newsprint consumption by papers 500,000 tonnes 2022.
- Single-copy sales magazines $50 million 2022.
- Subscription revenues newspapers $300 million 2022.
- French-language newspapers circulation 3.8 million 2022.
Print Media Interpretation
Canada's print media is clinging to its life raft of still-loyal readers while desperately trying to learn how to swim in digital waters, as evidenced by the stubborn 72% weekly print readership, the 12% bump in digital ad revenue, and the otherwise relentless torrent of declining figures across circulation, ad sales, and employment.
Radio Broadcasting
- In 2022, Canadian FM radio stations generated $1.45 billion in total revenues, up 7.8% from 2021.
- Advertising revenues for Canadian radio totaled $1.39 billion in 2022, a 8.2% increase YoY.
- Canadian AM radio revenues were $58.4 million in 2022, down 1.5%.
- Local ad sales accounted for 72% of Canadian radio ad revenues in 2022.
- National ad revenues for radio grew 11.3% to $389 million in 2022.
- Canadian radio stations' PBIT was $288 million in 2022, up 24%.
- Average PBIT margin for commercial radio was 20.3% in 2022.
- Canadian ethnic radio stations had revenues of $42 million in 2022.
- In 2022, 91% of Canadians aged 12+ listened to radio weekly.
- Average weekly radio listening time per Canadian was 16.5 hours in Fall 2022.
- Toronto radio market had 3.2 million listeners weekly in 2022.
- CBC Radio revenues from parliamentary appropriation were $384 million in 2022-23.
- Commercial radio stations number 900+ in Canada as of 2022.
- Radio ad spend was 10% of total Canadian media ad market in 2022.
- Music formats dominated Canadian radio with 65% audience share in 2022.
- News/talk radio had 22% share in major markets 2022.
- Canadian radio digital revenues grew 25% to $85 million in 2022.
- Online audio streaming competed with 15% of listening time in 2022.
- Vancouver radio market revenues $150 million in 2022.
- Montreal French radio had 2.1 million weekly listeners in 2022.
- Canadian campus/community radio stations: 2,000+ licensed in 2022.
- Radio listening via car was 45% of total tuning in 2022.
- Top station CHUM-FM Toronto averaged 1.1 million listeners weekly 2022.
- Indigenous radio stations revenues $12 million in 2022.
- Canadian radio Canadian content airplay was 38.5% in 2022.
Radio Broadcasting Interpretation
While FM radio proves it still has the chops by turning up the ad revenue volume to 7.8%, AM is fading like a distant station, digital is the hot new opener with 25% growth, and with 91% of the country still tuning in weekly, the industry's final encore is far from written.
Television Broadcasting
- In 2022, Canadian English-language conventional television stations had total revenues of $1.18 billion, a 6.3% decline from 2021.
- French-language private conventional TV stations in Canada reported $512 million in revenues in 2022, down 2.1% year-over-year.
- Advertising revenues for Canadian specialty, pay and VOD services reached $2.47 billion in 2022, up 4.5% from the previous year.
- In 2022, Canadian TV stations' total advertising revenues fell to $2.05 billion, representing a 5.2% decrease from 2021.
- Local advertising on Canadian TV dropped 12.4% to $367 million in 2022.
- National advertising revenues for Canadian TV increased by 1.9% to $1.68 billion in 2022.
- Canadian discretionary TV services saw subscriber revenues of $2.84 billion in 2022, down 3.7% from 2021.
- In Q4 2022, Canadian TV panels reported 10.2 million viewing hours for conventional TV, a slight decline.
- Prime time audience share for Canadian conventional TV was 68.5% in English markets in 2022.
- Top Canadian TV program 'The Amazing Race Canada' averaged 1.92 million viewers in 2022 season.
- In 2023, Corus Entertainment's TV revenues were $1.04 billion CAD, down 10% YoY.
- Bell Media's TV division generated $2.1 billion in revenues in 2022.
- Canadian TV news viewership averaged 4.2 million weekly in 2022.
- Sports programming accounted for 22% of Canadian TV ad spend in 2022.
- Drama series made up 35% of top 20 English TV programs by audience in 2022.
- In 2022, 85% of Canadian households subscribed to TV services, down from 90% in 2019.
- Over-the-air TV households in Canada numbered 1.8 million in 2022.
- Canadian content exhibition on TV was 47% of schedule in 2022.
- Priority programming spending by Canadian TV broadcasters was $1.1 billion in 2022.
- Independent production spending by TV stations reached $682 million in 2022.
- Canadian TV stations' profits before interest and taxes were $142 million in 2022, down 28%.
- Average PBIT margin for Canadian conventional TV was 12.1% in 2022.
- In 2022, 62% of TV viewing in Canada was via traditional linear TV.
- Bilingual TV revenues in Canada were $45 million in 2022.
- Canadian TV ad spend totaled 18% of total media ad market in 2022.
- CTV network had 25% audience share in prime time English Canada 2022.
- Global TV's prime time share was 18% in 2022.
- CBC TV budget was $1.24 billion in 2022-23 fiscal year.
- Canadian TV exports to US reached $250 million in 2022.
- 4K TV penetration in Canadian households was 45% in 2022.
Television Broadcasting Interpretation
In the shifting tides of Canadian television, the cold hard cash is hemorrhaging from the old guard while audiences and ad dollars cautiously wade toward specialty streams, yet the industry stubbornly holds its ground in the living room with familiar dramas and the comforting glow of the nightly news.
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