The holiday advertising rush may still be weeks away, but the fight for Canadians’ attention is already getting underway.
As fall TV returns, major sports seasons ramp up and advertisers begin locking in holiday campaigns, Canadians are moving between more content, platforms and viewing occasions than ever. For brands, that’s putting a bigger focus on how they actually reach audiences when they’re watching, not just where they buy media.
In an interview with Retail Insider, Ivan Pehar, Country Manager at Roku Canada, discusses what Roku is seeing as advertisers head into the busiest stretch of the year.
Why is the holiday streaming battle starting earlier, and what does that mean for advertisers?
The holiday season has really become a longer runway for advertisers. By the time we get into fall, audiences are already back into their routines, new programming is launching, major sports seasons are underway and brands are beginning to compete for holiday attention.
At the same time, streaming is playing a much bigger role in how Canadians watch TV. Our latest research found that 88% of Canadian TV viewers now stream, while 74% watch ad-supported streaming. Canadian streamers are also spending an average of 11.9 hours a week with ad-supported streaming, up from 10.2 hours last year.
For advertisers, I think that means looking at Q4 as a series of distinct moments rather than one big holiday push. There are opportunities around fall programming, sports, major shopping events and the holidays themselves. The important thing is understanding when your audience is engaged and finding a relevant way to be part of those moments.
How are sports changing the streaming advertising opportunity?
Sports are interesting because they still have that ability to bring large audiences together around a shared moment, but where and how Canadians watch is changing. Our latest research found that 54% of streamers who follow sports watch sports through streaming, while 60% say sports are spread across too many TV services.
We saw that firsthand with Soccer Zone this summer. Fans weren’t necessarily coming in just for one game and leaving. They could move between matches, highlights, clips and other related content, making the experience broader than the live event itself.
For advertisers, I think that’s where the opportunity gets interesting. It’s not only about showing up during the game. It’s about understanding the broader fan journey and finding relevant ways to be part of it, including helping make sports easier for fans to find.
Why is content discovery becoming an advertising conversation?
Choice has always been one of streaming’s biggest strengths, but it can also make deciding what to watch more complicated. Our latest research found that Canadian streamers spend an average of 13 minutes looking for something to watch, while 66% say there are too many streaming services to keep track of.
That makes discovery an increasingly important part of the viewing experience. People aren’t necessarily starting with a particular app or service in mind. Often, they’re sitting down and asking a much simpler question: What do I want to watch?
That’s also a moment where advertising can be useful rather than disruptive. Nearly eight in 10 streamers say ads that help them find or remind them about movies and shows to watch would be useful. I think that’s an important shift because the opportunity isn’t only to reach someone once they’re watching. It’s also about adding value while they’re deciding what comes next.
What are Canadian advertisers prioritizing as they head into Q4?
Q4 is always competitive, so we’re seeing advertisers become more thoughtful about where they’re putting their budgets and what they’re getting back from them.
A big part of that is being more deliberate about how budgets work across different viewing occasions, rather than relying solely on a particular program or time slot. Canadians are moving between entertainment, live sports, news and other content throughout the week. There are also some clear moments of attention during Q4, with our latest research finding that 40% of Canadian streamers plan to celebrate or observe Halloween and 34% plan to participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Measurement is another important part of that conversation. Two-thirds of Canadian streamers say they’ve taken a measurable action after seeing a TV ad, whether that’s searching for more information, visiting a brand’s website or store, or making a purchase. Especially during such an important retail period, advertisers want to understand whether they reached the audience they intended to and what happened afterwards.
Ultimately, there’s more pressure to connect media investment back to meaningful business outcomes.
Looking back at 2026, what has the year revealed about where TV advertising in Canada is heading in 2027?
One of the biggest things 2026 reinforced for me is that the distinction between traditional TV and streaming matters less to viewers than it does to our industry.
Canadians are still watching live programming, sports, movies and their favourite shows. What’s changing is how they access that content. 58% of Canadian streamers now watch live or scheduled channels through streaming, and those viewers spend an average of 6.4 hours a week streaming live or linear content.
For advertisers, I think that means we’ll continue moving away from thinking about linear and streaming as completely separate conversations. Heading into 2027, the focus will increasingly be on understanding the audience, making content easier to discover and improving how we measure what happens across the viewing journey.
The technology will keep changing, but the fundamentals won’t: understand your audience, show up in relevant moments and create an experience that adds value rather than getting in the way.
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