Ninety three percent of Canadians have access to pay TV. Video advertising spending reached 1.1 billion dollars while fixed broadband speeds averaged 116 megabits per second in major markets. These figures outline the balance between legacy distribution reach and expanding digital infrastructure across the Canadian media sector.
Key Takeaways
- $1.1 billion spent on advertising in Canada in 2023 for video advertising, indicating a major sub-channel within digital/CTV video
- 43% of Canadian media executives said they expect streaming to increase its share of total viewing in the next 12–18 months (2024 survey), indicating forward momentum toward streaming-first consumption
- 29% of Canadian broadcasters reported launching or expanding FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) services in 2023–2024, indicating growth of ad-supported streaming channels
- In 2023, Canadian cable/broadcast TV services reported 93% of Canadians having access to pay TV at some level, reflecting distribution reach for legacy services
- CRTC data shows the average Canadian household paid $101.31 per month for TV in 2023, indicating ongoing consumer spending on distribution packages
- In 2023, there were 8,900 establishments in motion picture and video industries in Canada, indicating the production and content creation footprint
- In 2023, there were 12,200 establishments in broadcasting (including radio/television broadcasting) in Canada, indicating distribution footprint
- Canada’s largest telecom/broadband providers served 86% of households with high-speed internet service in 2023, enabling media delivery at scale
- In 2023, 95% of Canadian households had access to LTE service, supporting mobile consumption of media content
- In 2023, fixed broadband download speeds in major Canadian markets averaged 116 Mbps, enabling high-quality streaming
- In 2023, Canadian e-book sales reached 6.7 million units, showing a measurable adjacent publishing digital market size
- C$14.6 billion was the estimated total revenue of Canada’s TV and video distribution industry in 2023, reflecting the scale of the distribution segment
- C$7.8 billion was the estimated revenue of Canada’s cable and satellite TV industry in 2023, indicating continuing economic weight of pay-TV distribution
- In 2023, Canada’s film and video industries supported 98,500 jobs (direct and indirect), indicating a large employment base tied to screen production
- Canada’s creative industries (including film, music, and publishing) contributed about 2.0% of national GDP in 2022, indicating macroeconomic importance for media-related employment and business activity
In 2023, Canada’s media ecosystem scaled with heavy streaming growth and strong pay TV plus digital advertising spending.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size10 stats
01
In 2023, Canadian e-book sales reached 6.7 million units, showing a measurable adjacent publishing digital market size[1]
02
C$14.6 billion was the estimated total revenue of Canada’s TV and video distribution industry in 2023, reflecting the scale of the distribution segment[2]
03
C$7.8 billion was the estimated revenue of Canada’s cable and satellite TV industry in 2023, indicating continuing economic weight of pay-TV distribution[2]
04
C$11.4 billion was the estimated revenue of Canada’s broadcasting (radio/television) industry in 2023, showing the economic footprint of broadcast operations[2]
05
C$4.5 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Online Content Services” (digital media content providers) in 2023, indicating the size of digital-first content monetization[2]
06
C$3.2 billion of Canada’s total advertising revenue was estimated to be digital display in 2023, showing continued investment beyond video-only placements[2]
07
C$2.4 billion of Canada’s total advertising revenue was estimated to be “search advertising” in 2023, indicating major paid acquisition spend in performance/search channels[2]
08
C$9.0 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Advertising Agencies” in 2023, reflecting the services ecosystem around media buying[2]
09
C$6.3 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Book Publishing” in 2023, indicating broader publishing adjacency to screen-based media[2]
10
C$1.9 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Music Publishing” in 2023, indicating scale in rights-driven entertainment sectors[2]
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, the Canadian media market was broad and digitally shifting, with 6.7 million e book units and C$4.5 billion in online content services alongside large legacy distribution revenues like C$14.6 billion for TV and video distribution, showing that digital and traditional segments are both substantial within the market size category.
02 · Category
Infrastructure & Technology5 stats
01
Canada’s largest telecom/broadband providers served 86% of households with high-speed internet service in 2023, enabling media delivery at scale[3]
02
In 2023, 95% of Canadian households had access to LTE service, supporting mobile consumption of media content[3]
03
In 2023, fixed broadband download speeds in major Canadian markets averaged 116 Mbps, enabling high-quality streaming[3]
04
In 2023, average monthly fixed broadband prices were C$61.93 in Canada, shaping affordability of internet-delivered media[3]
05
In 2023, Canada’s share of broadband subscriptions using fiber was 24% (fiber-to-the-home share), indicating continued migration to higher-capacity networks[3]
Interpretation
Infrastructure & Technology Interpretation
In 2023, Canada’s Infrastructure and Technology foundation for media delivery looks strong as 86% of households had access to high speed internet and 24% of broadband subscriptions used fiber, while LTE coverage reached 95% and speeds averaged 116 Mbps, even as average monthly fixed broadband prices were C$61.93.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
$1.1 billion spent on advertising in Canada in 2023 for video advertising, indicating a major sub-channel within digital/CTV video[4]
02
43% of Canadian media executives said they expect streaming to increase its share of total viewing in the next 12–18 months (2024 survey), indicating forward momentum toward streaming-first consumption[5]
03
29% of Canadian broadcasters reported launching or expanding FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) services in 2023–2024, indicating growth of ad-supported streaming channels[6]
04
23% of Canadian media organizations stated they had formal data-governance policies for audience measurement in 2024, indicating increasing focus on measurement compliance[7]
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For Industry Trends in Canada’s media sector, the shift is accelerating with 43% of executives expecting streaming to grow its viewing share in the next 12 to 18 months and 29% of broadcasters launching or expanding FAST services in 2023 to 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Employment & Business3 stats
01
In 2023, Canada’s film and video industries supported 98,500 jobs (direct and indirect), indicating a large employment base tied to screen production[8]
02
Canada’s creative industries (including film, music, and publishing) contributed about 2.0% of national GDP in 2022, indicating macroeconomic importance for media-related employment and business activity[9]
03
In 2023, 61% of Canadian media businesses reported that they were small businesses (under 20 employees), indicating a fragmented producer landscape[1]
Interpretation
Employment & Business Interpretation
In 2023, Canada’s film and video industries supported 98,500 direct and indirect jobs while 61% of media businesses were small, showing that employment in this sector is both substantial and driven by a highly fragmented base of small employers.
05 · Category
Distribution & Reach2 stats
01
In 2023, Canadian cable/broadcast TV services reported 93% of Canadians having access to pay TV at some level, reflecting distribution reach for legacy services[3]
02
CRTC data shows the average Canadian household paid $101.31 per month for TV in 2023, indicating ongoing consumer spending on distribution packages[3]
Interpretation
Distribution & Reach Interpretation
In 2023, Canadian cable and broadcast TV services delivered pay TV access to 93% of Canadians while the average household spent $101.31 per month on TV, showing both broad distribution reach and sustained consumer demand in the Distribution and Reach category.
06 · Category
Overview3 stats
01
In 2023, there were 8,900 establishments in motion picture and video industries in Canada, indicating the production and content creation footprint[10]
02
In 2023, there were 12,200 establishments in broadcasting (including radio/television broadcasting) in Canada, indicating distribution footprint[10]
03
In 2023, Canadians spent an average of 2 hours 36 minutes per day on media (including TV, internet video, and mobile usage) in a 2023 cross-platform time-use study, indicating the role of regulation-relevant measurement[11]
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
In Canada’s media industry overview, 8,900 motion picture and video establishments and 12,200 broadcasting establishments in 2023 show a sizeable production and distribution backbone, matched by Canadians spending an average of 2 hours 36 minutes per day on media.
report visual · At a glance
Canada’s Media Industry: Revenue by Segment (2023)
In 2023, Canadian media revenues spanned broadcasting, distribution, digital content services, and publishing-related adjacencies.
- C$14.6 billion was the estimated total revenue of Canada’s TV and video distribution industry in 2023, reflecting the sc$14.6 billion
- C$7.8 billion was the estimated revenue of Canada’s cable and satellite TV industry in 2023, indicating continuing econo$7.8 billion
- C$11.4 billion was the estimated revenue of Canada’s broadcasting (radio/television) industry in 2023, showing the econo$11.4 billion
- C$4.5 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Online Content Services” (digital media content providers) in 2023$4.5 billion
- C$9.0 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Advertising Agencies” in 2023, reflecting the services ecosystem a$9.0 billion
- C$6.3 billion was the estimated Canadian revenue for “Book Publishing” in 2023, indicating broader publishing adjacency $6.3 billion
source-verifiedibisworld.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Canadian Media Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canadian-media-industry-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Canadian Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/canadian-media-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Canadian Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canadian-media-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
11 sources cited across this report