Canada

Updated December 2022

Market brief

In terms of streaming, Canada largely operates as an extension of the US market, although lacks access to Hulu and HBO Max. The notable domestic service CraveTV launched in late 2014 as an internet-distributed version of Bell Media – the dominant multichannel provider. The service reached 3 million subscribers in March 2022 (Canadian market has roughly 15 million households). A very minor service, Super Channel, also exists. Owned by Allarco Entertainment, Super Channel is built on offering four channels and on-demand access as added value, arguably making it more a multi-channel service than a streamer. Allarco filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and 2016.

CraveTV was initially low cost ($4/mo), strongly advertising reliant, and available only to Bell subscribers and some partners. It became widely available as a stand-alone service in January 2016, though at an increased price. In 2018, it merged with The Movie Network and evolved into a pricier service ($20/mo) that includes access to HBO and Starz titles. In both iterations, the service relies heavily on US titles but also accesses Bell Media original programming. CraveTV is similar to Binge in the Australian market, although Canada had much higher multi-channel take up. Like Australia as well, the market finds comparatively few domestically produced titles available in its services.