Over 50% of Canadian Broadband Households have a Connected CE Device to Watch Online Video via a Television

Dallas, Tex., May 22, 2015--New Parks Associates research reveals 58% of Canadian broadband households have at least one connected CE device that allows online content to be accessed through a TV set, up from 48% in 2012. Nearly 40% have a gaming console connected to the Internet, 25% have a connected smart TV, and 14% have a connected streaming media device.                                                              

Emerging Power of IoT in Canada, a survey of 1,500 Canadian broadband households, analyzes the market for Internet-enabled entertainment and home control devices in Canada. It also gauges current adoption levels, investigates usage patterns, and assesses the impact devices are having on broadband and pay-TV service providers.

“Canadians are getting content for connected entertainment devices from a variety of sources. Nearly one-third of broadband households are downloading movies or TV shows at least once a month, and 8% are using VPN and proxy services to obtain content from foreign services,” said John Barrett, Director, Consumer Analytics, Parks Associates. “These sources are acting as alternatives to traditional cable and satellite TV services and putting competitive pressure on the market. For example, among people under 45 who use a VPN to access online video, nearly one-quarter plan to cancel their cable or satellite TV service over the next 12 months.”

“The end of 2014 witnessed several new OTT services emerge in the Canadian market from Bell Canada, Rogers, and Shaw,” said Brett Sappington, Director of Research, Parks Associates. “These services represent a potential deterrent to the growth of Netflix and other OTT services in Canada as well as a new area of competition among Canadian pay-TV providers.”

Emerging Power of IoT in Canada data highlights include:

  • More than 40% of Canadian broadband households connect a computer directly to a TV to access online content.
  • Video downloads rank just below personal DVD/Blu-ray disk collections as a source of video in Canada, with 35% of broadband households watching downloaded video on a monthly basis.
  • 4% of Canadian broadband households intend to cancel broadband service completely. 
  • 12% of Canadian pay-TV households report having TV Everywhere as part of their service.
  • 22% of Canadian broadband households express interest in receiving a free online movie service from their broadband service provider.

The research is available for purchase. More information is available at www.parksassociates.com. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific research data, please contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com.