The next three years will show if Canadian TV systems will survive as viewers migrate to Netflix and YouTube, says a Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications (CRTC) report..Netflix and Youtube account for 21% of television revenues and "could easily hit 25–30% in 2022, given current trends," said the CRTC report, according to Blacklock's Reporter. .The average weekly hours Canadians spend watching traditional television has declined 2% annually since 2016, the study found..“It is not a stretch to say that decisions made by public policy-makers in the next three years will determine whether the Canadian broadcasting system survives, and whether our creative sector gets stuck in an increasing branch plant economy,” said the report..“How much time do we have? Best guess given current trends — three years.".Traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions per household have declined from 11.5 million to 9.8 million since 2012. Advertising revenues for conventional TV, discretionary services, and on-demand services combined from 2016 to 2020 have also dropped from $2.8 billion to $2.3 billion. .“For over fifteen years, Canadian media have witnessed erosion in advertising, starting even before they saw losses in audience as advertisers increasingly took advantage of the almost limitless number of cost-effective, data-driven, targeted options online,” said the report..“In 2008 online advertising overtook radio. In 2010 it overtook print. And in 2013 it overtook television. As of 2020, internet advertising represents over 67% of all advertising in Canada.”.The report found 32% from those aged 18–34 watch TV exclusively online and an average of 20% of all Canadians watch only online..“If a Canadian broadcasting system with a strong private Canadian element is deemed to be in the public interest, new structural measures which could incentivize and prioritize Canadian broadcasting without restricting entry of foreign services should be implemented,” said the report..Netflix has been in Canada since 2012, and was flagged as posing a significant challenge to local broadcasters in 2015 by the Department of Canadian Heritage in an Access to Information report..“The upward trend in internet TV is remarkable,” said the department report. “Consumer habits are changing.”.“There is no denying that technological innovation is [re-defining] the very definition of broadcasting,” said Scott Hutton, then CRTC executive director of broadcasting, testifying at Senate communications committee hearings in 2014..“This has irreversibly altered the TV landscape.”
