Leading TV markets in Canada 2021, by number of viewers

Toronto-Hamilton was the largest TV market in Canada in broadcast year 2020/2021. With approximately 8.2 million viewers, the metropolitan area recorded almost twice as many viewers as second-ranked Montreal.

TV viewing behavior and trends

While traditional media formats are gradually losing audiences due to the ever-increasing popularity of digital news or entertainment channels, television viewership in Canada remains comparatively stable. As of January 2020, 82 out of 100 Canadian households subscribed to a pay TV service, and according to the latest estimates, the number of TV viewers in Canada rose to 28.3 million that year. Considering that audiences spent more time at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it comes as no surprise that the average daily time spent watching television in Canada also jumped from 184 minutes in 2019 to 194 minutes in 2020. 

Canadian TV ratings and preferences

In 2020, television reached more than 91 percent of Canadian adults every week. When asked about their viewing habits and preferences in a nationwide survey, a majority of respondents listed comedies and dramas as their preferred tv genres. Correspondingly, “The Good Doctor” was the most viewed regularly scheduled network program in Canada in the 2019/20 season with over 2.5 million viewers. The popular medical drama aired weekly on CTV, which has been Canada’s most watched television network for several years.