Total time spent with media is more than 10 hours daily on average in Canada this year. In the years ahead, total time will shrink slightly, but digital formats will continue to steal time away from traditional media.

Our latest forecasts for ad spending in Canada, which include our first-ever estimates for Google and Meta, show strong growth overall and an accelerated shift to digital.

As digital audio consumption increases, the advertising market in Canada is developing rapidly to reach new listeners.

Our annual lookahead for Canada highlights some growth areas for brand marketers as well as the mediascape that’s evolving to serve them.

Digital video viewership, time spent with the medium, and video ad spending are all reaching new heights in Canada.

More on this: While there were no breakthrough innovations at this year’s Unpacked, the leading smartphone maker did upgrade its Galaxy S22 phones and Galaxy Tab 8 tablets with more professional features—including interoperability with Microsoft Windows 11— as well as advanced functionality in apps like Snap and YouTube.

Average daily time spent with media shot past the 10-hour mark last year, pushing media consumption to new levels in Canada.

In 2020, digital video ad spending exceeded TV ad outlays for the first time in Canada. Digital video gained the most momentum of any format amid the pandemic last year, growing by 10.0% year over year (YoY). This includes both in-stream video formats (e.g., YouTube ads) and those outstream (ads appearing in social media feeds).

Our forecast for digital video viewers in Canada highlights greater consumption of the medium during the pandemic.

Digital media formats are poised for growth in US and Canada: Total media consumption will decrease this year as pandemic-inspired habits calm.

Our revised estimates for total ad spending in Canada this year show a big decline, mirroring what’s expected overall for the Canadian economy. Digital will hold its level after years of double-digit growth.