A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
Media companies in Canada - statistics & facts
Canadian mass media companies benefit from the wide reach of various technologies throughout the country, and even as magazines and newspapers lose popularity, the rise of the internet provides new opportunities to reach their audiences and gain subscribers. Television and radio indsutries remain quite strong despite not seeing the same peaks as they did around 2012. As of 2023, operating revenues in the Canadian television industry amounted to over 6.4 billion Canadian dollars, with the country’s radio industry bringing in 1.5 billion more. Yet the change in media consumption which clearly favors digital entertainment means that Canadian media and telco providers are adapting accordingly.
Corus Entertainment is a spinoff of Shaw Communications that once served as the company’s media division. Now reporting billions of dollars’ worth of revenue each year, Corus has become a major player in its own right. Other companies in the industry include Quebecor, and Cogeco, all of which provide internet and television services, and bring in billions of Canadian dollars in revenue each year.
All in all, Canada’s media companies are performing well, however it is clear that some companies will have to enter new markets and diversify their offerings in order to stay competitive. Despite the fact that the industry is dominated by just a few large companies, it remains seemingly healthy and competitive.
The Bell of Western Canada
Founded upon the invention of the telephone and initially owned by the father of Alexander Graham Bell, Bell Canada has been involved in the Canadian media industry since the 1870’s. Since then, the company has gradually expanded its offerings into other sectors such as cellular networks, television, and internet services. In 2023, Bell Canada accumulated a revenue of over 24 billion Canadian dollars, with a large share of it coming from its Bell Wireline internet segment. Initially serving as the company’s key product, local telephone subscriptions have dropped significantly in recent years, but as this segment has fallen into decline, Bell’s subscription numbers for its wireless communications, high-speed internet, and television segments have all increased.Shaw rules the West no more
While Bell Canada is the market leader in most of eastern Canada, Shaw Communications was perhaps the biggest name in the country’s western provinces. Another well-established Canadian company, Shaw Communications has been involved in the media industry for over 50 years. Shaw managed to generate revenues of nearly 5.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2022 and served as a provider of internet, telephone, and fiber optic networking. However, in early 2023, Rogers Communications, another big player on the media and telco arena in Canada, acquired Shaw and integrated its operations into their own.Corus Entertainment is a spinoff of Shaw Communications that once served as the company’s media division. Now reporting billions of dollars’ worth of revenue each year, Corus has become a major player in its own right. Other companies in the industry include Quebecor, and Cogeco, all of which provide internet and television services, and bring in billions of Canadian dollars in revenue each year.
The rest of the media landscape in Canada
Aside from these large multi-platform mass media providers, companies such as TC Transcontinental and Postmedia Network work primarily in the media publishing market, while companies like CBC mainly focus on radio and TV broadcasting. Although the market for print media is shrinking, Canadian publishers have managed to remain relatively competitive by slowly branching out into other areas such as digital offerings and even packaging. In similar fashion to the print media market, the radio market has suffered due to the increasing popularity of digital options.All in all, Canada’s media companies are performing well, however it is clear that some companies will have to enter new markets and diversify their offerings in order to stay competitive. Despite the fact that the industry is dominated by just a few large companies, it remains seemingly healthy and competitive.
