The latest report from the Media Technology Monitor (MTM) shows that when it comes to OTT and traditional television, Canadians might not see it as an either/or proposition.
The MTM report sought to uncover the overall media consumption habits of those who watch SVOD and OTT services. The organization surveyed 4,000 Anglophone Canadians through a mixed-method approach in the spring of 2017.
It found that although Netflix is dominant among the streaming services (its penetration rate in Canada is now at 53%, up from 50% in spring 2016, according to MTM), it’s not necessarily cannibalizing traditional television. More than 70% of OTT subscribers also subscribe to a traditional TV service, such as cable, satellite or fibre optic.
In fact, OTT subscribers are only slightly less likely to subscribe to traditional television. Seventy-one per cent of OTT subscribers have a TV subscription versus 75% of non-OTT users.
Netflix, which hit the Canadian market in 2011, has enough of a head start on its major Canadian competitors to maintain a healthy lead. Bell Media’s CraveTV, now two years old, has a 9% penetration rate. Amazon Prime Video, which launched in Canada last year, has a 5% penetration rate.
Most Canadians who subscribe to any OTT also subscribe to Netflix — only 4% of respondents said they subscribe to “only” Netflix competitors, while 13% of Canadians subscribe to Netflix and one or more other OTTs.
The study found Netflix and Amazon Prime subscribers tend to skew younger that other SVOD audiences – 39% of Netflix subscribers are between 18 and 34, as are 49% of Amazon Prime subscribers. CraveTV and Sportsnet Now subscribers tend to have similar age balances to traditional TV, with 29% between 18 and 34.
