It’s that time of the year again – upfronts. In the past it meant media buyers attended the dog and pony shows hosted by broadcasters to showcase their programming for the new TV season. Today, streamers such as Netflix have their own starry events and now social platforms, including Pinterest, have gotten into the act.
Although, aside from CBC, most of the Canadian action takes place next week, MiC checked in with some of Canada’s media agency leaders to find out, based on the American upfronts, whether they believe buyers are picking up what the broadcasters and streamers are offering. Are they going all in on streamers the way the streamers are going all in on ads or are buyers sticking with linear. The big question for this season is where are the dollars going?
Caroline Breton, managing director of Involved Media Canada, says linear and streaming should complement each other, as opposed to plan in isolation of one another. “We are still seeing CTV as a reach extension to linear. I can only speak to what we are seeing with our clients, but dollars are coming from other digital platforms not necessarily from linear tv budgets. The transparency, the opportunity to support local publishers and brand safety are making streaming very appealing to brands.”
Breton adds, “Streamers are playing around with bundling and traditional broadcasters want to monetize all premium video content. In this world of diverse streaming options and the rise of AVOD, viewers have become selective about what they consume, and advertisers will have to adapt to the continued evolution if they want to remain relevant in the CTV media landscape.”
Leanne Burnett-Wood, president of Magna Canada, says buyers are excited to see the ad-supported streaming landscape in Canada become more robust. “The growth in the landscape is still new and the market needs time to test these platforms and find the right balance, not just between linear and streaming, but among the services themselves. Cost and measurement remain significant factors as well.”
Devon MacDonald, president of Cairns Oneil says the new offerings from streamers are attractive to buyers, but they don’t yet have the programming consistency and reach that attracts full investment. “The continued foray into sports content with new deals like Netflix and NFL Christmas or Amazon working with Rogers on Monday Night Hockey however gives leagues and brands the chance to reach cord-cut sports audiences.”
That said, he’s excited to see what Canadian broadcasters have to offer for the upcoming season. “After a couple of stalled years around original content due to the writer’s strike, this is a real opportunity to regain share and investment for them. As we plan for the fall and look to 2025, we continue to look at the streaming and other digital content offering, but the linear proposition continues to be incredibly strong in Canada.”
Dan Zangrando, EVP of integrated investments at UM says the streaming landscape has seen unprecedented growth over the past 16 months, with more partners offering increased ad space and reach. “Agencies and advertisers are still trying to navigate the changing landscape, and with measurement not evolving at the same rate as the offerings, the challenge is to optimize reach and find balance within plans and budgets. Last year, 50% of Canadians subscribed to multiple SVOD services. This number is expected to grow, and the way Canadians engage with streaming content will also continue to evolve. They might binge-watch a new season of a popular series, rewatch an old favorite over several weeks, or stream a hockey game every Monday night.
“We are closely monitoring viewing trends in Canada and observing how content fragmentation affects viewing habits in the US. This helps us anticipate where audiences will be, allowing us to invest accordingly. In most cases, this will be a mix of both streaming and linear to reach audiences effectively.”
