Canadians’ time spent with ad-supported content skyrocketed over the past year, jumping from 7.3 hours a week in 2024 to 10.2 hours a week in 2025, according to Roku’s sixth annual Video on Demand (VOD) Evolution Study
The report credits ongoing demands on household spending, and a wider variety of programming available, for more Canadians choosing Free-Ad-Supported Streaming (FAST) channels, specifically, as their go-to entertainment.
The findings are based on the results of an online survey of Canadian adults, aged 18+, who use the internet and watched TV at least once in the last month. Roku commissioned Fuse Insights to undertake the research in June and July, with a nationally representative sample of 2,018 Canadians.
According to the study, the number of TV streamers who can be reached by in-stream ads rose to 85% in 2025, up from 69% in 2024, with nine in 10 Canadian TV streamers accessing ad-supported streaming.
Sixty-nine per cent of TV streamers said they had increased their ad-supported subscription video-on-demand (ADSVOD) services, with 69% also accessing those services in the last month, an increase of 50% year-over-year. Subsequently, subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) usage declined slightly, with 80% of TV streamers accessing SVOD services, compared to 85% last year.
Constant subscriber churn
Among the trends identified in the report is consistent subscriber churn, with about 12% of streamers managing the cost of subscriptions by switching from one paid subscription to another. Additionally, more TV streamers are finding that streaming platforms can replace cable TV, with cable or satellite viewing dropping slightly among streamers from 6.8 hours a week to 6.3 hours a week year-over-year. Fourteen per cent said they have cancelled their cable, while 43% said they are watching cable channels via streaming services. Fifty-six per cent of TV streamers indicated they’re using streaming services to watch live or scheduled channels, including broadcast channels traditionally found on cable, and FAST.
The report also notes that more Canadian TV streamers are seeking “a traditional lean-back TV experience,” where they can turn on the TV and watch whatever is on (41%). The study credits the FAST channel experience’s ability to emulate traditional TV viewing with its rising popularity, in addition to scheduled programming around a shared theme, with more than a third (35%) of streamers saying they enjoy watching themed live TV channels.
“The shift to ad-supported streaming is real, now used by nearly nine in 10 Canadian TV streamers”, said Ivan Pehar, Director of Ad Sales at Roku Canada. “Most stream through smart TVs and sticks – where brands can be discovered, be creative, and drive direct results. The result for advertisers is potentially greater brand affinity, with more than a third of TV streamers telling us they’d like a brand more if they sponsored a selection of TV shows and movies to make it easier to find something to watch.”
