4 in 5 Canadians classify themselves as TV streamers

Wednesday, October 6th, 2021 
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‘The Streaming Decade,’ Roku’s Annual Survey, Shows Industry has Passed a “Tipping Point”

  • TV streaming popular among Canadians of all generations

Key survey insights*:
• 4 in 5 Canadians are TV streamers
• More than half of consumers say they’re going to watch as much TV as they did during the pandemic, even as restrictions loosen
• 71 per cent of Canadians stream TV because they want to watch something everyone is talking about

TORONTO — Content producers, advertisers, and marketers take note, TV streaming popularity continues to rise with 4 in 5 Canadians classifying themselves as TV streamers (versus 3 in 4 who pay for traditional TV), according to The Streaming Decade survey released today by Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU). The annual survey provides insights into consumer TV viewing behaviors and preferences, and how the pandemic accelerated the ongoing shift to TV streaming.

The Streaming Decade survey also revealed that content such as new movie releases (72 per cent), and sports (68 per cent) is a key reason Canadians would try a new streaming service. As well, the ease-of-use, cost-savings, and content quality of TV streaming was shown to have extremely broad, intergenerational appeal among Canadian consumers.

“Amid a year of uncertainty, this survey puts data behind what we at Roku have believed since our founding in 2002: all TV will be streamed,” says Mirjam Laux, VP International Platform at Roku. “These results show that TV streaming is bringing more people together, starting new conversations, and giving viewers of every generation content they love, while also making it more accessible. TV streaming is here to stay.”

The report also highlights generational differences between TV streaming behaviour, with 98 percent of Gen Z’s; 96 per cent of Millennials; 86 per cent of Gen X’s, and 68 per cent of Boomers using more TV streaming services in the past year.

“For Canadian TV streamers, the number of content options available, as well as the ability to watch at any point of the day makes TV streaming appealing to many,” says Christina Summers, Head of Advertising Canada at Roku. “For advertisers and marketers, the growth in TV streaming, represents great opportunity to better target, reach, and gain new customers. For Roku’s content producers, TV streaming makes it easier to tap into new audience segments, and better monetize existing and often dormant catalogues to extend reach further. Overall, TV streaming is a win-win for everyone in the TV eco-system.”

Additional key stats from the survey:

  • 40 per cent of streaming Boomers added more TV streaming services in the past year
  • 72 per cent of consumers say having access to a new movie release is a key reason they would try a new service
  • More than 8 in 10 Canadians agree that one of the biggest factors when deciding whether to try a new streaming service is if it offers free and paid subscription tiers
  • 42 per cent of TV streamers have ad-supported service
  • 1 in 3 sports viewing audiences watch sports via TV streaming

* Methodology: Between July 24 and July 30, 2021, on behalf of Roku, Inc. NRG surveyed online n=953 18-70 year olds in Canada who watch at least 5 hours of TV per week via traditional pay TV (i.e. cable, satellite, or telco service) or a streaming service.

Links: Roku