Not as many Canadians followed through on threats to cancel their traditional television subscriptions last year despite more options for online video streaming, according to numbers from Canada’s broadcast regulator.
About 125,000 people cut the cord in the year ended Aug. 31, 2016, down from approximately 158,000 lost subscribers in the same period in 2015, according to data released Thursday by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. That leaves a total of 11.1 million TV subscribers across Canada.
These numbers – based on data broadcasters must provide to the regulator (all but two regional providers complied) – provide an alternate snapshot to independent reports that found a record number of more than 200,000 Canadians walked away from TV subscriptions last year. Those reports, however, were based on the calendar year.
But the CRTC’s financial summary revealed increased pressure on broadcasters’ profitability in a year that saw the entrance of new streaming options including Amazon Prime Video in December and Rogers Communications Inc.’s standalone Sportsnet Now in April.
Emily Jackson – Financial Post – July 27, 2017.
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