Audience Results

While funding results in this report illustrate activities in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, audience results reflect the most recently completed broadcast year, specifically, 2011-2012.

Overall English-language Viewing Trends

Canadian vs. foreign programs

Domestically-produced programs accounted for 38% of full-day viewing in English-language television, growing one share point from last year. During peak-viewing hours, 35% of English-language television viewing was devoted to Canadian programming, reflecting a marginal one share point erosion from last year, consistent with the recent 3-year average.

CMF-funded genres vs. other genres

Overall viewing to English-language programs (both domestic and foreign produced) in the four CMF-supported genres (Children’s & Youth, Documentary, Drama and Variety & Performing Arts) posted a 7% slippage in 2011-2012.  The full-day share of viewing to programming in the four CMF-supported genres was 42%, a four share point erosion compared to last year and the lowest in five years; this share decline was directly attributable to off-peak viewing, as peak-hour viewing contracted by only one share point to 46%.

CMF-funded programs vs. non-funded Canadian programs

When examining full-day viewership to Canadian programs in only the CMF-supported genres, CMF-funded programs have secured a 51% share, reaching a five-year high and advancing four share points from the previous year.  In peak-viewing hours, CMF-funded programs captured a 56% share, rising three share points from last year, also setting a five-year record.

Overall Viewing of English-language programs in CMF-supported Genres

Among English-language programs in the CMF-supported genres, total hours and share of viewing to CMF-funded programs have climbed to their highest level in five years.  The continuing strong performance of Drama series both in the summer season and increasingly in the regular fall/winter season, as well as an expansion in CMF’s definition of Variety & Performing Arts programming have contributed to the audience share growth in 2011-2012.  Equally noteworthy was the increased availability of CMF-funded programming as measured by the total volume of hours scheduled, which has risen consistently over the past 5 years, as well as the introduction and availability of new digital services.  In 2011-2012, total hours of CMF programming scheduled was 13% higher than in the previous year.

Consolidation in the broadcast television industry in recent years has provided new opportunities for corporate ownership groups that straddle the conventional, specialty and digital specialty arenas, to promote, exploit and exhibit broadcaster-financed content across these assets, through multiple plays to optimize viewership, resulting in a boost in the number of hours scheduled. 

In Children’s & Youth, the share of full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs rose by four share points to 34%, highest in 5 years, while viewing to non-CMF Canadian programs dropped by two share points to 6%.  This suggests that the CMF-financed projects’ share gain came at the expense of both non-CMF Canadian and foreign programs.  In peak viewing hours, viewing to CMF-funded programs remained steady at 42%, while viewing to non-CMF Canadian projects grew by two share points to 4%, at the expense of foreign programs.   

In Documentary, the share of full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs grew by three share points to 15%, highest in 5 years, while viewing to foreign programs dropped by nine share points to 50%.  In peak-viewing hours, viewing to CMF-funded programs increased by two share points to 13%, highest in 5 years, while viewing to foreign programs declined nine share points to 56%.  Notably, while CMF posted its highest share in 5 years in the Documentary genre, hours of viewing have slipped, suggesting a softening in Documentary program audiences and contraction in the volume of hours scheduled.

In Drama, the full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs increased by one share point to 7%, highest in 5 years, likely at the expense of non-CMF-funded Canadian dramas having slipped one share point to 9%.  In peak-viewing hours, CMF-funded programs posted a 10% share, the highest in 5 years, non-funded Canadian dramas slipped by one share point to 6%, while foreign programs’ 84% share was its lowest in 5 years.  This suggests that the modest but consistent viewing share gain in CMF-funded dramas has been sourced from non-CMF funded Canadian and foreign drama programs.

In Variety & Performing Arts, the share of full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs rose by three share points to 22%, while viewing to non-CMF Canadian projects decreased by five share points to 4%; foreign programs at 74% share was the highest in 5 years.  During peak-viewing hours, viewing to CMF-funded programs grew by eight share points, to 18%, while viewing to non-CMF Canadian programs dropped by six share points to 3%.  This growth was primarily attributable to the expansion of CMF’s definition in this genre.

CMF-funded vs Other Canadian vs Foreign Programs by Genre
Full Day – English

Children's and Youth

Documentary

Drama

VAPA

CMF-funded vs Other Canadian vs Foreign Programs by Genre
Peak-Viewing – English

Children's and Youth

Documentary

Drama

VAPA

Top Performing CMF-funded English-Language Programs

The following is a list of the Top 10 English-language programs funded by the CMF which aired during the 2011-2012 broadcast year. 

Ten CMF-funded programs which aired in the 2011-2012 broadcast year achieved audiences of over 1 million viewers on average, similar to results in the previous two broadcast years. 

Nine of the top ten programs were from the Drama genre, achieving audiences that ranged from 1.0 to 1.7 million viewers.  One Variety & Performing Arts program with an average audience of over 1.2 million viewers made the Top Ten list. 

The top performing CMF-funded series, Combat Hospital, garnered over 1.7 million viewers, followed by Saving Hope at just under 1.7 million.  The top domestic program overall was the CFL Grey Cup at 4.3 million viewers.  Other Canadian programs with audiences that out-performed the top CMF projects were all sports related, such as the World Junior Hockey Championships, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hockey Night in Canada, and the London 2012 Olympic Games.

By way of comparison, the top performing foreign series in a CMF-supported genre, The Big Bang Theory, attracted an average audience of over 3.1 million viewers, while seven other drama series (Grey’s Anatomy, C.S.I., NCIS, Bones, Anger Management, House, Missing) delivered over 2 million viewers on average.  For added context, the program with the largest audience overall in 2011-2012 was the NFL Super Bowl at 7.3 million viewers.

Source: BBM Canada PPM 2011-2012 Broadcast Year

Overall French-language Viewing Trends

Canadian vs. foreign programs

Canadian programs continued to account for the majority of viewing in the French-language market with a 62% share of full-day viewing, down one share point from last year.  More significantly, however, this has reflected a continuing trend observed over the past several years where viewing to foreign programs has taken an increasing share of full-day viewing in the French-language market, now at an all-time high of 38% in 2011-2012.  This trend is also reflected in peak-viewing hours, where the share of viewing to Canadian programs has slipped to 64% in 2011-2012.  Consequently, the share of viewing to foreign programs has risen to 36% in 2011-2012,, equaling the record highs posted last year. Each share point represents approximately 46,000 viewing hours.

While domestically produced programs have traditionally dominated weekly schedules of French-language broadcasters, evidence suggests that versioned foreign programs are becoming more prevalent on French-language broadcasters’ schedules, and posting share gains in French-language television at the expense of domestically produced programs.

CMF-funded genres vs. other genres

Almost half of television viewing in the French-language market went to programs in CMF-supported genres, with these programs attaining a 47% share of both full-day and peak-hour viewing in 2011-2012, unchanged from the previous year.

CMF-funded programs vs. non-funded Canadian programs only

When examining viewership to Canadian programs in CMF-supported genres only, CMF funded programs captured a 47% share of full-day viewing, rising seven share points from the previous year and sixteen percentage points since 2008-2009.  In peak-viewing hours, CMF-funded programs captured a 65% share, up six share points from the previous year and 23 percentage points from 2008-2009.  Note that similar to the English-language market, the expansion of CMF’s definition in the Variety and Performing Arts genre, and several marquee programs in this genre attracting record number of viewers have likely contributed to these dramatic gains in audience share.

Overall Viewing of French-language programs in CMF-supported Genres

Among French-language programs in the CMF-supported genres, the overall share of viewing to CMF-funded programs was at its highest level in five years, in both full day and peak viewing hours. However, there has also been a discernible trend of increased viewing to versioned foreign programming, except in the Variety & Performing Arts genre, over the same five year period.

In Children’s & Youth, the share of full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs increased by four share points from the previous year, to a five-year high of 54%, while in peak viewing hours, the viewing share of CMF-funded programs slipped four percentage points to 71%.   

In Documentary, full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs increased by only one share point to 10%, while viewing to foreign programs increased by three share points to 23%.  In peak-viewing hours, viewing to CMF-funded programs rose by two share points to 15%, while viewing to foreign programs increased by four share points to 28%.  Similar to the trends observed in Drama, viewing to foreign-produced documentaries continued to increase, having reached a five-year high in both full day and peak-viewing hours in 2011-2012.

In Drama, full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs grew by one share point, to a five-year high of 20%.  However, viewing to foreign programs also rose to a five-year high of 67%.  In peak viewing hours, viewing to CMF-funded programs remained stable at 34%, while viewing to foreign programs increased by two share points, to 54%. These share trends suggest that the consumption of Canadian-produced dramas during peak-viewing hours continued to erode, partly due to growth in the acquisition of versioned foreign programming by Canadian broadcasters in the French-language market.  

In Variety & Performing Arts, full-day viewing to CMF-funded programs soared by 14 share points to 82%, a five-year high.  In peak-viewing hours, viewing to CMF-funded programs increased by six share points to 84%, also a five-year high.  This considerable share gain has been primarily fueled by the inclusion of what would have previously been considered as ineligible projects, a noteworthy example being Star Académie.

CMF-funded vs Other Canadian vs Foreign Programs by Genre
Full Day - French

Children's and Youth

Documentary

Drama

VAPA

CMF-funded vs Other Canadian vs Foreign Programs by Genre
Peak Viewing - French

Children's and Youth

Documentary

Drama

VAPA

Top Performing CMF-funded French-Language Programs

The following is a list of the Top 10 French-language programs funded by the CMF which aired during the 2011-2012 broadcast year. 

All titles on the Top 10 list achieved audiences of more than 1 million viewers, a further 5 titles have also met this criterion, bringing the number of CMF programs with over one million viewers to fifteen in total.

Four of the Top 10 programs were from the Variety & Performing Arts genre, achieving audiences that ranged from 1.5 million to close to 2.3 million viewers.  The six other programs on the Top 10 list were Drama projects, with audiences that ranged from 1.1 to 1.2 million viewers.  None of the programs from the Documentary or Children’s & Youth genres made the overall Top 10 programs list. Notwithstanding, the top-ranked program in Documentary achieved an average audience of just over 800,000 viewers, while the top-performing program in Children’s & Youth posted an average audience of 186,000.

The top performing CMF-funded series, Star Académie 2012 – le variété, garnered close to 2.3 million viewers.  By way of comparison, the top performing foreign series in a CMF-supported genre, Dr. House, attained on average 824,000 viewers, while four other foreign series (Esprits Criminels, Les Beautés Désespérées, La Fièvre de la danse, and Le Grand C) posted over 500,000 viewers on average.

source: BBM Canada PPM 2011-2012 Broadcast Year