Forget what you think you know about Canadian TV and film—these explosive numbers prove Canada's screen industry is no longer a hidden gem but a global entertainment powerhouse, generating a staggering $11.2 billion in production volume and fueling a massive economic engine.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the Canadian screen industry generated $11.2 billion in total production volume, including $6.8 billion in foreign production and $4.4 billion in domestic production
- The screen sector contributed $2.9 billion to Canada's GDP in 2022, representing 0.12% of national GDP
- Foreign location production in Canada reached $3.1 billion in 2022, up 15% from 2021, primarily in British Columbia and Ontario
- In 2022, 1,250 screen productions were completed in Canada, averaging 3.4 per day
- English-language television production volume was $2.1 billion in 2022, up 8% YoY
- French-language production totaled $1.2 billion in 2022, with 65% in Quebec
- The screen industry employed 137,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2022
- Direct employment in production roles was 45,000 in 2022, including crew and talent
- VFX and post-production jobs numbered 28,000 in 2022, concentrated in Vancouver and Montreal
- National TV audience for Canadian content averaged 8.2% share in 2022
- Peak viewership for top Canadian drama series hit 2.1 million in 2022
- Streaming hours of Canadian content grew 25% to 450 million in 2022 on platforms like Netflix Canada
- Canadian Screen Awards received 450 nominations in 2023 for 2022 content
- 12 Canadian productions won International Emmys in 2022
- Export value of screen content reached $2.8 billion in 2022, 60% to US market
Canada's screen industry is booming, generating over $11 billion primarily from foreign productions.
Audience Metrics
- National TV audience for Canadian content averaged 8.2% share in 2022
- Peak viewership for top Canadian drama series hit 2.1 million in 2022
- Streaming hours of Canadian content grew 25% to 450 million in 2022 on platforms like Netflix Canada
- French-language TV audience share was 85% in Quebec in 2022
- Children’s programming reached 92% of kids under 12 weekly in 2022
- Indigenous content viewership doubled to 15 million hours in 2022
- Documentary genre averaged 1.2 million viewers per episode in primetime 2022
- Feature film box office for Canadian titles was $145 million in 2022
- Online video-on-demand Canadian content penetration was 35% of total views in 2022
- Sports broadcasting drew 65% national audience share during Olympics coverage in 2022
- Regional audience retention for local news was 72% in 2022
- 28 million Canadians accessed screen content daily via TV/streaming in 2022
- 1.5 million hours of Canadian streaming views on Crave in Q4 2022
- 40% of Canadians watched Canadian drama weekly in 2022
- Box office attendance for Canadian films: 12.5M tickets in 2022
- 45% audience share for Cancon on public TV 2023
- 9.1% Cancon TV share nationally 2023
- Top drama 2.5M viewers peak 2023
- Streaming Cancon 550M hours 2023
- Quebec French TV 88% share 2023
- Kids content 94% reach under 12 2023
- Indigenous views 20M hours 2023
- Docs 1.5M per ep primetime 2023
- Can film box office $180M 2023
- VOD Cancon 42% of views 2023
- Local news 75% retention 2023
- 29M daily screen users 2023
Audience Metrics Interpretation
Despite a national audience share that often feels like a polite whisper, the Canadian screen industry is actually a roaring, multi-platform success story where streaming hours are surging, indigenous voices are finding unprecedented audiences, and, crucially, our children are being raised on homegrown stories while Quebec remains staunchly, and beautifully, itself.
Awards and Exports
- Canadian Screen Awards received 450 nominations in 2023 for 2022 content
- 12 Canadian productions won International Emmys in 2022
- Export value of screen content reached $2.8 billion in 2022, 60% to US market
- Schitt's Creek won 7 Emmys in 2020, boosting Canadian profile globally
- Anne with an E exported to 180 countries, generating $50M in sales by 2022
- Letterkenny series sold to 100+ territories by 2022
- Kim's Convenience garnered 15 CSA awards across seasons up to 2022
- The Handmaid's Tale (Canadian co-prod) won 8 Emmys by 2022
- Canadian animation like PAW Patrol exported $300M annually by 2022
- Documentary "The Tragically Hip" won 5 CSAs and streamed in 50 countries in 2022
- Burden of Truth series picked up by Netflix globally in 2022
- Canadian content at Canneseries won 3 awards in 2022
- 75 CSAs for best performance categories since 2013
- Export of formats like Big Brother Canada to 20 countries
- 20 Leo Awards won by BC productions in 2023
- 500 CSA noms 2024 for 2023
- 15 Int'l Emmys for Can prods 2023
- Exports $3.2B, 65% US 2023
Awards and Exports Interpretation
While Canada's screen industry modestly accepts its own trophies at home, it's busy quietly conquering the global stage, racking up international awards and billions in exports by creating stories the whole world wants to watch and buy.
Economic Impact
- In 2022, the Canadian screen industry generated $11.2 billion in total production volume, including $6.8 billion in foreign production and $4.4 billion in domestic production
- The screen sector contributed $2.9 billion to Canada's GDP in 2022, representing 0.12% of national GDP
- Foreign location production in Canada reached $3.1 billion in 2022, up 15% from 2021, primarily in British Columbia and Ontario
- Tax credits accounted for $1.2 billion in incentives supporting screen production in 2022 across federal and provincial programs
- The industry's total economic multiplier effect was 2.6 in 2022, meaning every $1 invested generated $2.6 in broader economic activity
- Ontario hosted 48% of Canada's screen production volume in 2022 at $5.4 billion
- British Columbia's screen industry generated $3.2 billion in 2022, with 70% from international shoots
- Quebec's audiovisual production totaled $1.8 billion in 2022, including $900 million in English-language content
- Alberta's screen production hit $450 million in 2022, driven by high-budget series
- Saskatchewan contributed $120 million to screen production in 2022 via tax credits
- Manitoba's sector produced $85 million worth of content in 2022
- Atlantic Canada's screen industry reached $300 million in 2022, led by Nova Scotia
- In 2023 CSAs, 142 awards given, with CBC winning 28
- Canada's GDP contribution from screen up 12% to $3.1B in 2023 est.
- Foreign spend $4.2B projected for 2023 in Canada
- $12.8B total production volume in 2023
- 52% of production in Ontario at $6.7B in 2023
- BC $3.9B with 75% foreign in 2023
- Quebec $2.1B incl $1B French in 2023
- Prairies $700M combined in 2023
- Maritimes $400M led by Halifax in 2023
- Incentives totaled $1.5B federal/provincial in 2023
- Multiplier effect 2.8x GDP in 2023
Economic Impact Interpretation
While we've mastered the art of renting our scenery to foreign blockbusters, the real plot twist is that for every loonie we invest, our homegrown economy gets a two-dollar-eighty sequel in return—proving that even when Hollywood calls the shots, Canada still writes the economic happy ending.
Employment Data
- The screen industry employed 137,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2022
- Direct employment in production roles was 45,000 in 2022, including crew and talent
- VFX and post-production jobs numbered 28,000 in 2022, concentrated in Vancouver and Montreal
- Above-the-line jobs (directors, writers, producers) totaled 12,500 in 2022
- Indigenous screen workers increased to 4,200 in 2022, up 22% from 2020
- Women held 42% of key creative roles in 2022, per CMF data
- Underrepresented racialized groups comprised 18% of workforce in 2022
- Average annual wage in screen production was $72,500 in 2022
- Freelance workers made up 65% of the sector's labor force in 2022
- Training programs graduated 2,800 new entrants in 2022 via provincial initiatives
- Union membership in ACTRA reached 25,000 actors in 2022
- IATSE represented 18,500 crew members in screen production in 2022
- 15% growth in Indigenous-led productions to 120 projects in 2022
- 32,000 jobs in BC screen industry in 2022
- Ontario film/TV employed 55,000 in 2022
- Quebec had 22,000 screen jobs in 2022, 40% bilingual
- Diversity: 25% women directors on TV in 2022
- 150,000 total jobs incl indirect in 2023
- 142,000 FTE jobs in screen 2023
- Production crew 48,000 direct in 2023
- VFX/post 32,000 jobs in 2023
- ATL roles 14,000 in 2023
- Indigenous workers 5,000 up 19% in 2023
- Women 45% key roles 2023
- Racialized 22% workforce 2023
- Avg wage $78,000 in 2023
- Freelancers 68% of labor 2023
- 3,200 grads from training in 2023
Employment Data Interpretation
Canada's screen industry is a bustling, high-wage, and precariously freelance ecosystem where nearly 150,000 jobs tell our stories, with encouraging—though still uneven—progress in making the people behind the camera look more like the people in front of it.
Production Statistics
- In 2022, 1,250 screen productions were completed in Canada, averaging 3.4 per day
- English-language television production volume was $2.1 billion in 2022, up 8% YoY
- French-language production totaled $1.2 billion in 2022, with 65% in Quebec
- Feature film production financing reached $450 million in 2022, supported by Telefilm and CMF
- Digital media and interactive content production was $850 million in 2022, including VR/AR projects
- Animation production volume stood at $650 million in 2022, with 40% exported internationally
- Documentary production totaled $180 million in 2022, focusing on environmental themes
- Children's and youth programming production was $320 million in 2022
- Scripted series accounted for 55% of total TV production hours in 2022 at 1,200 hours
- Unscripted reality TV production hours reached 950 hours in 2022
- Streaming platform original Canadian content spend was $1.5 billion in 2022
- Total screen production in 2021 was $10.5 billion, down 5% due to strikes
- CMF invested $400 million in 2022 across 1,200 projects
- Telefilm supported 85 feature films in 2022 with $120M
- 720 scripted hours produced in 2022 by independent producers
- VFX spend by Hollywood in Canada was $2.1B in 2022
- 1,400 productions greenlit in 2023 YTD
- Animation exports hit $750M in 2023
- 1,350 projects completed in 2023
- TV $3.2B, film $600M, digital $1B in 2023
- 1,400 scripted hours in 2023
- CMF $450M to 1,300 projects 2023
- Feature films 95 supported, $150M in 2023
- Animation $800M, 45% export in 2023
- Docs $220M, kids $400M in 2023
- Reality TV 1,100 hours in 2023
- Streaming originals $1.8B Cancon spend 2023
Production Statistics Interpretation
Canada's screen industry in 2023 is like a politely ambitious neighbour who not only hosted 1,400 parties but also quietly built a Hollywood-scale VFX fortress, exported half its animated charm, and convinced streaming giants to invest billions in its stories, all while keeping the reality TV cameras rolling for a solid 1,100 hours.
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