Third edition of CMF’s Perspectives looks at the interplay between audience dynamics and intellectual property strategies
Toronto, March 11, 2025 — The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today released the third edition of Perspectives, a publication by our Foresight and Innovation team that dives into topics of interest for the Canadian screen industry. In this new edition, titled The Currency of Audience, consulting firm Nordicity and our team look at the interplay between audiences and intellectual property (IP) and how it strengthens the media sector.
Key takeaways
- Funding IP development separately from content production is a potential stabilizer for production companies. Content and production funding is still a key part of the Canadian and international industry. Funding IP development offers a potential new plank of support to help creators compete in an international market—if that IP is tied to audience engagement strategies.
- Underserved markets are a key growth area for domestic success and international exportability. IP that is developed through culturally specific lenses has been proven to succeed not just within those communities, but across markets. Canada's diverse population of storytellers and audiences offers a strategic opportunity for market expansion.
- Children and Youth consumption habits have led to new pipelines for IP and content development. Echoing the transmedia trend of the 2010s, Children and Youth IP is consumed across multiple platforms. Given how digitally immersed kids are today, leveraging digital platforms as a valuable tool for IP development can offer a more informed and future-proofed method for retaining those audiences.
The Currency of Audience emphasizes a fundamental shift in how content is created, distributed, and discovered, arguing that IP is not just an end product, but the underlying narrative, world, or concept that can generate multiple stories across various mediums. The report stresses that successful IP development must be audience-driven, with early engagement playing a crucial role in discoverability and long-term success. Ultimately, it suggests a way forward for the industry to empower creators, promote audience engagement, and ensure the long-term resilience of Canada’s screen-based industries.
About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances, and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice, and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors. Visit our website for more information.
Media Contact
Maxime Ruel
Senior Manager, Communications
Canada Media Fund
[email protected]
