SVOD subscriptions have plateaued in Canada, even as traditional TV services continue their steady decline, according to the latest research from Media Technology Monitor (MTM).

MTM found that 78% of Anglophone households currently subscribe to at least one SVOD service, similar levels seen since 2020. As a result, the firm suggests that SVOD has leveled off. Not surprisingly, the research found that 86% of Canadian Anglophones 65-plus own a TV subscription, compared to just 39% of those aged 18 to 34.

Ten years ago, 82% of Canadian households subscribed to a TV service. That number is now 60%. SVOD services are now more popular than TV subscription services even though that growth has plateaued. Those subscribing to both linear and SVOD services is now 47%, down from 59% in 2022 and 50% in 2023.

Interestingly, the segment of Anglophone Canadians who prefer not to own a TV set has grown, reaching 13% in fall 2024 compared to 8% in fall 2021. This shift is particularly pronounced among younger Canadians, with nearly a quarter (24%) of those aged 18 to 34, and 13% of those aged 35 to 49 now reporting they do not own a TV set.

Anglophone adults use a variety of platforms to access TV content: 34% of households use fibre optic, 31% are streaming only, 17% use cable, and 8% use satellite. Fibre optic services have been increasing as Canadians want faster home internet connections. In recent years, most TV service providers in Canada have been shifting existing cable and satellite customers to fibre optic as a way to make service delivery more efficient.

Cable TV providers are transitioning customers to fibre optic services and have stopped offering cable to new subscribers. However, it’s currently unclear when cable TV services will completely cease to exist.

The majority (71%) of Canada’s TV market is made up of Bell (29%), Rogers (27%) and Telus (15%). Bell (38%) is the leading fibre optic provider in the anglophone market, followed by Telus (25%) and Rogers (22%), which includes Shaw. Rogers is the most popular cable provider in the Anglophone market with 44% of cable subscribers. More than half of satellite households (52%) subscribe to Bell’s service.

The data in this report was culled mainly from the telephone portion of MTM’s Fall 2024 survey.