Canada Streaming Video 2018: As Consumers Adopt OTT, ‘Netflix Tax’ Proposed to Ease Pressures on Local Players

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report provides an overview of the OTT video landscape in Canada, how local media companies are responding and the regulatory steps taken in 2018 by Canada’s government. Streaming video in Canada has emerged rapidly as an alternative to linear TV for consumers. The medium is now a fixed part of the entertainment menu, judging by data quantifying consumer time spent with video and growing over-the-top (OTT) service revenues. To gain a share of that growing market, domestic players are introducing new OTT services to compete with international players like Netflix and Amazon. Streaming video is also described in the media as OTT and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD). We forecast the number of subscription OTT video viewers in Canada will reach 17.4 million this year—more than 13 million of who will be Netflix viewers. The service is the most notable brand associated with SVOD, an industry that presents new challenges to the broadcast and cable oligopoly in C