Canadian Audiences 2017

Telefilm Canada has been collecting audience data since 2012 to determine the media consumption habits of Canadians. Produced in partnership with the Canada Media Fund, the main objectives of the 2017 edition of the Canadian audiences report are to:

• provide an overview of film and television consumption habits on a variety of screens and platforms;
• identify emerging trends in content; and
• assess the commitment to Canadian content and opportunities to connect with audiences.

The report is based on an online survey of 15-year-old and over Canadians conducted by Nielsen Media in May 2017.

Overall key findings

Pride and interest in Canadian culture is strong among Canadians:

• Canadians are proud when Canadian talent & content is celebrated internationally
• The majority of Canadians think promoting Canadian content is important
• 78% of respondents agree it is important that the government support the creation of distinctively Canadian productions

Wide reaching platforms have the most impact on Canadians for content viewing and as sources of information:

• Netflix and YouTube are the top online viewing platforms
• Web searches are the most important source of information
• National and international award shows resonate with audiences, while familiarity with national and international film festivals is limited

Content viewing is up across films, television and documentaries:

• The two market segments that show the most interest in Canadian content, and the most potential for the industry, The Curious and The Belonging, grew year-over-year.