Canadians increasingly choosing to stream with ads as prices rise: report
Ad-supported streaming plans cost 42% less on average, driving growth despite a 7% price increase by top providers, as cord-cutting rises in Canada.
- The Couch Potato Report released Monday by Convergence Research found Canadians are shifting from cable and satellite toward Netflix, Crave and Disney Plus after ten leading providers raised prices by an average of seven per cent last year.
- Ad-Supported packages cost an average of 42 per cent less than comparable ad-free subscriptions, making them attractive despite streamers raising prices on premium tiers. Netflix increased its ad-free standard plan to $18.99 and Disney Plus raised ad-free HD to $15.99.
- Bell's parent company BCE Inc. reported last month that Crave subscriptions reached approximately 4.6 million in the fourth quarter, up 26 per cent year-over-year. Total digital revenues grew six per cent in 2025, driven partly by ad-supported tiers.
- Convergence Research president Brahm Eiley said "Even though prices are going up, people are choosing the alternative which is significantly less in cost." Households paying for streaming average nearly three subscriptions each.
- The report projects 48.5 per cent of Canadian households lacked traditional TV subscriptions at year-end, rising to 57 per cent by 2028. Streaming subscription revenue grew 15 per cent to $4.8 billion in 2025 and is forecast to surpass traditional TV's $6.2 billion next year.
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More Canadians choosing to stream with ads as prices rise
Canadians subscribed to streaming platforms again faced rising costs last year, as a report estimates the 10 leading providers hiked prices by an average of seven per cent. The annual Couch Potato Report, released Monday by Convergence Research, said consumers are continuing to pivot from traditional cable and satellite television packages toward alternatives like Netflix, Crave and Disney Plus, despite those streaming giants having upped their …
The Toronto Star
Canadians increasingly choosing to stream with ads as prices rise: report
Canadians subscribed to streaming platforms again faced rising costs last year, as a new report estimates the 10 leading providers hiked prices by an average of seven per cent.
Canadians who subscribe to streaming platforms again faced price increases last year, with a new report estimating that the top ten providers have increased their rates by an average of 7%.
The top ten suppliers have increased their prices by an average of 7%. The post Continuous distribution with ads is popular despite the price increase appeared first on Les Affaires.
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