MONTREAL — On National Canadian Film Day, Telefilm Canada Wednesday released a new study on Canadian audiences and audiovisual content consumption habits, which reveals an overwhelming majority (73%) of Canadians would like to see more promotion of Canadian content.
The study was commissioned by Telefilm and conducted by Leger as a web-based survey between October 23 and November 6, 2020, among English- and French-speaking Canadians 18 years of age and older. A sample of almost 100 Canadians aged 13 to 17 were also surveyed. In total, 1,875 respondents completed the full questionnaire.
Here are some highlights of the study:
- On average, one-quarter (24%) of Canadians’ at-home viewing time is devoted to Canadian/Québec content.
- Three-quarters (73%) of Canadians agree additional efforts should be made to promote Canadian/Québec content both inside and outside Canada. Similarly, almost seven out of 10 Canadians (68%) believe Canadian/Québec content is not promoted enough.
- A majority (56%) agree Canadian/Québec content is easy to find. Greater promotion could increase visibility and thus provide easier access to Canadian/Québec content.
- More than three in 10 Canadians (31%) do not believe it is easy to access Canadian/Québec content.
- Canadians most likely to have difficulty finding Canadian and Québec content include residents of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, youth aged 18-34 and Canadians from racialized communities.
- Canadians from racialized communities are significantly more likely than people in the general population to think that minority groups should occupy more space on the screen (60% vs. 49%), that they do not feel adequately represented in Canadian/Québec content (45% vs. 34%) and are significantly less likely to think content is made for people like them (40% vs. 47%).
- Racialized communities represent the subgroup of the population that watches the least Canadian/Québec audiovisual content.
“As we look to the future, we know the success of the industry relies heavily on where homegrown content can be discovered and made available, both at home and at their local cinemas,” said Christa Dickenson, executive director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, in a press release. “That is why Telefilm has launched the See It All platform and secured innovative partnerships with Apple, CBC Gem, Crave and others to make it easier for Canadians to find and watch their own content. And it’s also why we’ve partnered with the Made|Nous Seek More campaign to inspire Canadians to seek more content and creators from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Canadians want to see more of themselves onscreen — and the good news is Canadian creators are in a unique position to deliver just that.”
While the release doesn’t use the word “discoverability”, better awareness and consumption of Cancon will come with more and better spending on promotion.
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