Original: Canada Netflix vs US: Which Customers Love The Streamer Most?
With original programming for every demographic, Netflix is regularly rated highest in overall quality and believed to have the best horror, anime, and documentary content of all other services available in the Land of Maple Syrup.
And according to Statistica, there is really no dispute; Netflix is the number one streaming service in Canada, hands down.
“As of July 2021, 27 percent of subscription streaming viewers and even 38 percent of ad-funded viewers watched more than 20 hours of video-on-demand content in Canada every week, as online platforms have begun slowly pushing traditional cable video providers out of the market. Netflix is the most popular among these subscription streaming video services, with a total of 18 million Canadians viewing the service as of 2020. By comparison, the domestic offer Crave reached less than half of the population. In addition to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Crave, free streaming services such as YouTube and Tubi are becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger generations.”
Canada Netflix vs US: the competition
Of course, Netflix’s spot on the charts (and our hearts) isn’t limited to Canada. For most viewers across the globe, Netflix is probably the first thing that comes to mind when asked about streaming entertainment.
But while Netflix has seen stiff competition bubble up in the last few years in the US, in Canada, the company still has a very healthy lead over the competition. According to Insider Intelligence, over 50% of all Canadians maintain a Netflix subscription, compared to just 25% for Amazon Prime TV, 17% for Disney+, and 13% for Crave, a Canadian streaming service.
Despite heavy competition and a robust number of other streaming options like Apple TV, SlackTV, YouTube Premium, CBC Gem, CBS All Access, DAZN, TSN Direct, Hayu, and more, the bottom line is that Canadians really love Netflix. The company has nearly 18 million viewers in the country, and experts forecast this to increase yearly until at least the 2030s.
So how does the company stay so competitive?
Canada Netflix vs US: features and content
Netflix invests heavily in unique and award-winning original programming in almost every genre. The service is available and supported on various devices, platforms, and other streaming mediums.
However, what’s most impressive about Netflix Canada is that it’s only been around a few years. Where viewers in the US have had access to the full service since its inception, Canadians have only had the ability to subscribe to Netflix Canada (with local programming) since 2018, after the company received regulatory approval to form Netflix Canada. This deal required Netflix to invest around CA$500 million in the local economy.
But Netflix is loved in Canada for the same reasons US viewers can’t break up with the streamer. Namely, the service has an enormous amount of content, is supported across many devices and operating systems, has multiple subscription tiers, quality original content, and a free trial for new members.
Canada Netflix vs US: Flexible pricing
In Canada, Netflix is about a dollar more per month, consistent across all its price plans.
- Basic plan CA$9.99/mo with one screen
- Standard plan CA$15.49/mo with two screens and HD streaming
- Premium plan CA$19.99/mo, which includes four screens and access to HD and 4K content
Of course, Netflix regularly gets a bad rap for its prices. And with the company announcing its Extra Home Fee being rolled out globally in stages, who knows how long the prices remain feasible for Canadian viewers?
Ultimately, however, it’s hard to imagine a future where Netflix loses its edge up north any time soon; the numbers don’t lie – Canadians really love Netflix.