Netflix reaches 1 in 10 Canadians
But so far, 'cord-cutting' among subscribers is minimal
CBC News
Posted: Mar 20, 2012 10:12 AM ET
Last Updated: Mar 20, 2012 1:49 PM ET
Related
External Links
(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings demonstrates that Netflix allows people to stream TV episodes and movies to other devices. (Enrique Marcarian/Reuters)Ten per cent of Canadians now use the video streaming service Netflix and those subscribers watch far more TV than average, a new survey suggests.
"Netflix viewers watch 28 per cent more TV than the average Canadian when including their Netflix viewing," said Mark Allen, director of research and strategic analysis at CBC/Radio-Canada, which ran the survey of 8,000 Canadians in the fall, a year after Netflix launched in Canada.
The findings came out of the Media Technology Monitor telephone survey of 4,000 anglophones and 4,000 francophones between October and December. The results are considered accurate within plus or minus 1.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Netflix, which launched in Canada in September 2010, streams movies and TV episodes over the internet to people's TVs via compatible devices such as video game consoles. The proportion of Canadians with access to Netflix has increased significantly from six per cent last spring.
The survey suggests Netflix subscribers spent an average of 5.6 hours watching Netflix per week.
Even though the service allows people to stream TV episodes and movies to other devices, such as tablets, subscribers did 74 per cent of their viewing on a TV. They spent 18 per cent of their time watching Netflix on a computer, just three per cent on their tablets and only two per cent on a smartphone.
While some analysts had predicted the rise of Netflix would take a big bite out of regular TV services — a phenomenon nicknamed "cord-cutting" — the survey results suggested the impact on cable and satellite has been small so far.
Netflix subscribers watched only slightly less regular TV than average – 13 hours per week, compared with 15.8 hours for non-Netflix subscribers.
Netflix subscribers were also only slightly less likely to subscribe to regular satellite and cable services (83 per cent) than non-Netflix subscribers (88 per cent).
Netflix charges $7.99 per month for a subscription.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Royal Bank pledges not to outsource jobs for cash savings
- Royal Bank has promised it will never outsource a Canadian job to a foreign worker solely to save money. more »
- Washington police blame bridge collapse on Alberta trucker

- Washington State police say an Alberta trucker was responsible for hitting a steel beam precipitating a bridge collapse on one of the busiest routes in the American northwest. more »
- Man accused of killing child in patio crash granted bail
- Emotions ran high in a packed Edmonton courthouse Friday as Richard Suter, accused of causing a crash into a restaurant patio that killed a young boy, was granted bail. more »
- Senators' unlikely playoff run ends in Game 5 disappointment
- The Ottawa Senators can't hang their heads after a 6-2 loss in Game 5 ended their improbable run to the second round of the NHL playoffs, but questions abound whether their 40-year-old captain will hang up his skates. more »
Must Watch
Latest Technology & Science News Headlines
- 3D printers give rise to 'desktop manufacturing'
- Customizable objects from plastic dollhouse furniture to medical prosthetics can now be designed and printed out by almost anyone at the press of a button, and is going to lead to an 'explosion of new stuff,' predicts author Chris Anderson. more »
- Google Street View captures Galapagos Islands
- Few have explored the remote volcanic islands of the Galapagos archipelago, an otherworldly landscape inhabited by the world's largest tortoises and other fantastical creatures that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. more »
- King Richard III buried in 'untidy' grave
- New information has surfaced in the odd tale of the British king buried in a car park. King Richard III's remains, which were discovered August under a parking lot in Leicester, England, were laid to rest in a grave researchers are now saying was "badly prepared" and "untidy." more »
- EU pushes through restrictions to protect bees
- The European Union has approved restrictions on three pesticides to better protect dwindling bee populations, to enter into force by December. more »
Bob McDonald's Blog
Chris Hadfield: The gravity of gravity May. 17, 2013 9:58 AM After five months of being Superman and a media superstar, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is now beginning the challenging task of adapting his mortal body and brain to life back on Earth.
Latest Features
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denies using crack cocaine
- Washington police blame bridge collapse on Alberta trucker
- Dog snared on baited hooks near Grouse Grind trail
- Canada ranks 3rd last in paid vacations
- Man accused of killing child in patio crash granted bail
- Amanda Bynes charged for allegedly tossing bong out window
- UBC student took 'nose dive into water' after bridge collapse
- Motorists warned to avoid Washington bridge collapse area
- London attack victim's widow speaks of 'our future together'

