Few Netflix Canada Subscribers Cut the (Cable) Cord (Survey)

TORONTO - Few Canadians have cut the (cable) cord as they embrace the U.S. video streaming giant’s Netflix Canada service.

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That's the conclusion of a report this week from Media Technology Monitor that found one in ten Canadians surveyed said they subscribe to Netflix Canada, and most of those subscribers have opted not to cut their ties to a local cable or satellite TV service as they do so.

“More than 4 out of 5 Netflix subscribers also subscribe to TV from a regular provider, like cable or satellite,” Mark Allen, director, research and strategic analysis at CBC/Radio-Canada, and principal of the MTM’s research, reported.

Netflix Canada, which launched in September 2010 and costs $7.99 per month, has quickly become a favorite with TV consumers, further augmenting Candian pay TV services such as TMN or Movie Central which the MTM report indicated one-third of the approximately 8,000 survey respondents said they also subscribe to.

The Canadian survey indicates Netflix Canada subscribers spent an average of 5.6 hours a-week viewing films and TV shows on offer as part of the video streaming service.

Canadian regulators and politicians have mostly ignored past pleas from domestic producers and broadcasters that Netflix Canada stood to decimate the Canadian TV industry if it was not regulated or compelled to subsidize homegrown TV production.

Avoiding local roadblocks, Netflix’s expansion north of the border forced it to slash its Canadian data usage to avoid passing overage fees on to its subscribers.

Ensuring a smooth expansion in Canada has been important to Netflix as it further builds out its international network.