More Canadians watching TV during pandemic: survey

If you’ve found yourself binging more TV than usual during the pandemic, you’re not alone.

The survey, conducted by Consumer Technology Association (CTA), found that many Canadians have seen their screen time increase while staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to the findings, 53 per cent of respondents are watching more streaming content from services such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu; while 46 per cent of people said they were watching more live TV than they normally would.

Additionally, according to data from Just Watch, many streaming services have seen an increase in subscribers since March 17.

Netflix has seen the biggest increase, with 332 per cent more subscribers; while Disney+ had the second-biggest increase in subscribers with 290 per cent more; Amazon Prime Video has seen their subscribers increase by 266 per cent; and Hulu subscribers have increased by 259 per cent.

Further, 17 per cent of Canadians said they are using a new streaming service for the first time, while 11 per cent said they subscribed to a service that includes live TV, such as Crave and YouTube TV.

Moreover, 43 per cent of Canadian households are using video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime more often now, while nearly half are using social media apps more often.

“Use of video communication and social media apps has skyrocketed across the world and Canada is no exception,” Lesley Rohrbaugh, director of research for the CTA, said in a news release.

“As people stay at home, many are willing to try new products and services and tech is enabling them to do so. The current crisis may have long-lasting impacts on Canadians’ use of technology, with more than two in five (43 percent) saying they anticipate continued use of these products and services once the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided,” she continued.