Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released its OTTs in COVID Report, which looks into how Canadians engaged with Over-the-top streaming services (OTTs). Based on a Spring survey of 4,000 Canadians, key findings from the Anglophone report include that almost 4 in 5 Anglophones (77%) now subscribe or have access to at least one OTT service; Netflix remains the most popular with two-thirds of Anglophones (67%) subscribing or having access to it. During the pandemic, Netflix also reported the highest level of daily use among subscribers (66%), ahead of Amazon Prime Video (45%), Disney + (42%), Crave (41%) and Apple TV + (29%); With more time on their hands, 1 in 4 Anglophone OTT subscribers reported opting in for additional OTT services to have more content to watch while in quarantine; After launching in late 2019, 20% of English households subscribe or have access to Disney +, while 8% of households subscribe or have access to Apple TV +; 2 in 5 OTT subscribers share their accounts with multiple households, with the most commonly shared services are Netflix followed by Disney +.
Highlights on the use of bypass services by Francophones during COVID-19 found: almost 7 out of 10 Francophones (68%) now subscribe to or have access to at least one over-the-top service. With more free time, more than one in five French-speaking OTT subscribers mentioned using additional services. Club illico subscriptions increased by 17%, the largest seasonal increase to date. 13% of French-speaking households subscribe to or have access to Disney +, while 5% of households subscribe to or have access to Apple TV +.
OLYMPIC CHANNEL TV is now streaming on CBC Gem, one year out from next summer’s rescheduled Olympic Games in Tokyo. The 24-hour digital livestream features original programming, documentaries, gold medal performances and memorable moments from past Olympic Games. In addition to replays, audiences will have access to athlete stories from Olympic Channel’s original programming library, including new series What Moves Me, in which athletes share stories about overcoming common personal barriers; award-winning series Take the Podium, in which clean athletes are awarded their rightful Olympic medal following disqualification of doped athletes; and Legends Live On, which takes a look at Olympic heroes and how they’re inspiring future generations.
The Line and Toronto Uncultured are two new e-publications, launched this month, that have risen out of the current media climate. The Line is a commentary site fueled by Calgary-based former National Post scribe Jen Gerson, among other writers. Toronto Uncultured features news, reviews, insider perspectives and Toronto-centric cultural recommendations. It’s helmed by former Toronto Star entertainment editor Ariel Teplitsky, who parted ways with Torstar in December.
