The Canadian entertainment landscape is evolving with rapid technological advancements shaping how content is consumed. Streaming platforms are seeing increased adoption, prompting traditional media to innovate. Consumer preferences are shifting towards personalized and on-demand content, challenging industry players to adapt swiftly. Technological integration is crucial as AI, AR and VR become more prevalent, providing immersive experiences. The financial stability of the industry faces scrutiny, with new revenue models emerging. Regulatory frameworks must evolve to keep pace with these changes, presenting both challenges and opportunities for stakeholders.
Fundamentally, the future of entertainment hinges on diversification and personalized experiences. Recognizing cultural and demographic shifts, venues are transforming into multifaceted entertainment hubs, offering everything from curated art and dining to themed events and technological advancements. Paying attention to diversity and inclusivity is essential.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Tech device ownership and purchase interest
- Digital services access and usage
- Regular digital activities
- Food, drink and entertainment
- Out-of-home entertainment
- Attitudes toward technological advancements, including AI and VR
- Homebodies vs adventurers
Canada's entertainment landscape is as diverse as its population and shifting just as quickly. AI and AR/VR not only redefine content accessibility and engagement but also reimagine OOH entertainment.
Candace Baldassarre, Research Analyst
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Executive summary
- What you need to know
- What consumers want and why
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
- The future of entertainment demands for consumers to be adaptable…
- …and to show an openness to the unknown…
- …brands just need to be transparent and accountable
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Household paid digital access
- Linear TV and paid video streaming services are neck-in-neck…
- …but age has everything to do with it
- Graph 1: household digital access, by age, 2024
- Younger men gravitate toward gaming subscriptions
- Graph 2: has household access to paid gaming subscription, by age and gender, 2024
- Newcomers are not as into cable or satellite
- Indigenous and Black consumers pay for audio and gaming
- Graph 3: household access to digital services (select), overall vs First Nations, Métis or Inuk and Black consumers, 2024
- Digital services used
- Video's lead over audio is visible
- Graph 4: services used, 2024
- Age and gender immensely impact services used
- Graph 5: services used, by gender, 2024
- Graph 6: services used, by age, 2024
- Newcomers gravitate toward free content and content creator subscriptions
- Graph 7: services used (select), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Newcomers to Canada and multicultural Canadians lean into free sources of content
- Graph 8: usage of digital services (select), by race, 2024
- Ontario's openness to digital services is obvious
- Parents prioritize digital engagement, but dads take the cake
- Graph 9: services used (select), overall vs moms vs dads, 2024
- Listen loud and clear to what LGBTQ+ Canadians are looking for
- Graph 10: services used (select), overall vs LGBTQ+, 2024
- Fiscally support the LGBTQ+ community by partnering with influencers
- Social media snapshot
- High school students are profiting off of posting
- Consumers have trouble believing their eyes
- Graph 11: attitudes toward social media (% agree), by age, 2023
- Social media sets its sights on…everything
- Graph 12: attitudes toward social media (% agree), by age, 2023
- Newcomers social media usage is no joke
- Graph 13: daily social media use, overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Multicultural Canadians are more engaged over social media
- Graph 14: daily social media use, by race, 2024
- Tech device ownership and purchase interest
- Canadians are connected
- Graph 15: ownership of and interest in tech devices, 2024
- Smartphones stand alone
- Newcomers are not smartphone novices
- Smartphones' popularity wanes with the older set
- Laptop/desktop computers and TVs and tablets, oh my!
- Graph 16: ownership of and interest in tech devices (select), 2024
- Streaming media devices' flexibility is enticing
- Graph 17: ownership of and interest in streaming media devices, 2024
- Newcomers and multicultural consumers are excited about streaming media devices
- Graph 18: ownership of and interest in streaming media devices, overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Audio devices' popularity is audible
- Graph 19: ownership of and interest in tech devices (select), 2024
- Apple packs a punch with its H2 chip
- Smart exercise equipment and wearable tech promise healthier futures
- Graph 20: ownership of and interest in tech devices (select), 2024
- The Oura Ring Gen 4 elevates wearable health tech with advanced tracking and insights
- The world's first AI-powered dumbbell
- Gaming consoles' popularity holds strong over VR
- Graph 21: ownership of and interest in tech devices (select), by consumers who typically play video games, 2024
- Graph 22: ownership of and interest in tech devices (select), 2024
- Regular digital activities
- Canadians are dialed in digitally
- Graph 23: activities regularly engaged in, 2024
- Kamala goes on Call Her Daddy
- Movies are the great (age) equalizer
- Graph 24: activities regularly engaged in, by age, 2024
- 18-24 year olds' digital habits stand out
- Graph 25: activities regularly engaged in (select), by age, 2024
- The differences in women's and men's digital preferences are pronounced
- Graph 26: activities regularly engaged in (select), by gender, 2024
- Two thirds of younger men regularly play video games
- Challenging disruptive in-game ads
- Newcomers to Canada are not afraid to get online
- Graph 27: activities regularly engaged in (select), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Social media and short-form videos trump TV shows for non-English/French speakers
- Graph 28: activities regularly engaged in (select), by language spoken, 2024
- Multicultural consumers' video game playing is marked
- Graph 29: regularly plays video games, by race, 2024
- Half of Black Canadians regularly watch live stream content
- Quebec isn't keen to post regularly on social media
- Graph 30: regularly posts on social media, by region, 2024
- Parents prioritize digital activities but moms and dads act differently
- Graph 31: activities regularly engaged in (select), moms vs dads, 2024
- Leaning into LGBTQ+ consumers' digital habits
- Graph 32: activities regularly engaged in (select), overall vs LGBTQ+ consumers, 2024
- Past and planned out-of-home activities
- Out-of-home entertainment is operating business as usual
- Graph 33: out-of-home activities done in past and planned on doing in future, 2024
- Canadian are aspirational planners
- Graph 34: out-of-home activities done in past 12 months, 2024
- Graph 35: out-of-home activities planned on doing in future, 2024
- Casinos are kind of their own thing
- Graph 36: has visited to a casino in past 12 months/plans to go to a casino, 2024
- VR fun on the Vegas Strip
- Video gaming and tech-based immersive attractions remain niche OOH activities
- Graph 37: out-of-home activities done in past and planned on doing in future (select), 2024
- Immerse yourself INSIDE a painting
- Getting engaged: movies, theme parks and hands-on immersive attractions
- Graph 38: out-of-home activities done in past and planned on doing in future (select), 2024
- Taking the hassle out of theme parks
- Cultural attractions and theatrical performances appeal across demographics
- Graph 39: out-of-home activities done in past and planned on doing in future (select), 2024
- It sounds obvious, but men really like their sports
- Graph 40: out-of-home activities done in past 12 months (select), overall vs men vs women, 2024
- TikTok's 'In The Mix'
- There's nothing like being there in person
- South Asian consumers seek out live sporting events
- Nissan appeals to South Asian consumers with its Cricket Canada sponsorship
- Traditional games and gaming are classics for a reason
- Graph 41: out-of-home activities done in past and planned on doing in future (select), 2024
- Giving in-person gaming a dash of exclusivity
- Newcomers and multicultural Canadians are playing around
- Graph 42: out-of-home activities done in past 12 months (select), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than 5 years, 2024
- Entertainment and virtual spaces
- A fifth of Canadians would be open to socializing in virtual spaces
- Women are more hesitant to socialize in virtual spaces
- Graph 43: "I would be open to socializing with others in virtual spaces (eg while wearing VR headset)" (% agree), by gender, 2024
- Diversity in virtual spaces
- Graph 44: "I would be open to socializing with others in virtual spaces (eg while wearing VR headset)" (% agree), overall vs Black and South Asian consumers, 2024
- Hybrid workers' flexibility can translate into the virtual
- Graph 45: "I would be open to socializing with others in virtual spaces (eg while wearing VR headset)" (% agree), by workplace location, 2024
- Food, drink and entertainment
- Cheers to events serving up better food and drink experiences
- Don't neglect beverage offerings when targeting younger and middle aged Canadians
- Graph 46: offering alcoholic beverages at events (eg comedy show) makes for a more complete experience (% agree), by age, 2024
- Newcomers are not messing around with their noshes
- Graph 47: attitudes toward food, beverage and entertainment (% agree), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Higher income households are willing to shell out for good food and bev…
- Graph 48: good food and drink options makes going to an event more appealing (% agree), by household income, 2024
- …but higher income means higher expectations of brands on social media
- Just offer dad a beer to make him enjoy the play a little more
- Graph 49: offering alcoholic beverages at events (eg comedy show) makes for a more complete experience (% agree), by gender and parental status, 2024
- Homebodies, adventurers and entertainment
- Half of Canadians consider themselves to be homebodies
- Women like spending time at home
- Newcomers are excited to get out of their comfort zones
- Graph 50: "I try to get out of my comfort zone and try new activities" (% agree), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Multicultural Canadians are feeling adventurous
- Graph 51: "I try to get out of my comfort zone and try new activities" (% agree), by race, 2024
- Urbanites stand out from their rural and suburban peers
- Graph 52: attitudes toward entertainment (% agree), by area lived, 2024
- Partying it up at the museum
- AI and entertainment
- Seeing isn't believing
- AI tools aren't easily used by all…yet
- 18-24 year olds' comfort with AI tools stands out
- Helping women aged 55+ manage their AI concerns
- Newcomers' experience with AI tools is notable
- Graph 53: "I feel comfortable using AI tools (eg ChatGPT, Copilot)" (% agree), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
- Attitudes toward entertainment
- Nearly half of consumers would be open to ads if it made video content subscriptions cheaper
- The west coast is not the best coast…for ads
- Graph 54: "I am open to watching ads if it meant video content subscriptions (eg Netflix) would be cheaper" (% agree), by region, 2024
- A third of video game players stream games to their TV or mobile device instead of using a console or PC
- Half of Canadians like their background noise at home
- Younger women are multitasking
- Graph 55: "I like to listen to content (eg podcasts, music) as background noise when I am doing other tasks around my home (eg cooking, cleaning)" (% agree), by age and gender, 2024
- Two thirds of consumers watch content primarily in English
- Graph 56: "I primarily watch video content in English" (% agree), by language spoken, 2024
- Newcomers' content preferences cannot be ignored
- Graph 57: attitudes toward entertainment (% agree), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2024
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Competitive strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Netflix blurs the line between video content consumption and clothing shopping
- The future of sports, entertainment and live event venues is green
- The world's first Zero Carbon Certified arena
- Cosm is changing the nature of in-person sports viewing
- Seeking a personalized audio experience with Rogers Seekr
- Meta takes VR to the skies
- Snapchat's spiffy new spectacles
- Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses revolutionize accessibility for blind and low vision people
- X tries its hand at connected TV
- Marketing and advertising
- Coors Light brings the excitement home with their broken can
- Meta seeks to dominate the AR wearables space
- Strategic hospitality-entertainment partnerships are a no-brainer
- Movie for a Loonie is a banger of a deal
- The smartest smartphone yet?
- Newcomers can get out and about with their Canoo Pass
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The Market
- Market drivers
- A light at the end of the economic tunnel?
- Diversity is defining
- Graph 58: distribution of foreign-born population, by region of birth, 1871 to 2036
- India is the leading source country for newer Canadians
- Graph 59: source countries of permanent residents admitted to Canada, 2022
- An ageing population means different priorities
- The proliferation of AI on social media
- Tech is advancing and costs are lowering
- The evolving live sports broadcasting landscape
- Mergers, acquisitions and partnerships proliferate
- YouTube sounds a little different
- Bill it to me
- Netflix responds to Bill C-11 by pulling support
- California puts its foot down on removing digitally purchased content
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Appendix
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer qualitative research
- Consumer research questions
- Abbreviations and terms
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