The future of TV might not be as ad-free as once thought – and this is where Corus sees a real opportunity for audiences and advertisers.

Stuck at home for months during the pandemic, more viewers spent more time with content. But now, with those days (hopefully) behind us, the media landscape is reverting to something a little more predictable.

But that’s not to say things are back to normal. Faced with 40-year-high inflation and a recession waiting in the wings, consumers have begun to take a hard look at their budgets. And while it made sense to subscribe to a cluster of streaming services when everyone was home, it might be less sensible when screen time is more limited and budgets start feeling the pinch.

According to recent Corus research, the Canadian streaming household population has grown to approximately 90%, driven by a more rapid adoption of streaming services and new entrants. However, with most households maxing out at three subscription services, smaller offerings have struggled to achieve scale. This challenge is compounded by churn, with up to 30% of subscribers considering canceling services at any given time. Despite the growth in adoption, only 30% of Canadians feel they have access to enough content.

It’s clear that value and flexibility have become prime drivers of consumer behaviour, and media companies need to do a better job of making their case.

Spencer Charters (pictured left), VP, strategy and new product development at Corus Entertainment, agrees: “Consumers now have so much choice and it has become so easy to move in and out of platforms. We’ve addressed that by building a portfolio of compelling streaming products, each with a clear value proposition, allowing us to connect audiences with advertisers in new ways.”

For Corus, the last few years have been about putting more content in more places. The company has invested more in content – including previous seasons of rights – to grow its library, while it simultaneously launched new platforms and upped its spend in marketing. This includes the Global TV App, and STACKTV, which launched in 2019, both of which are fully ad-supported.

The same market evolution that saw the growth of premium, ad-free streaming services also made it harder for advertisers to reach consumers. So what do you do when viewers start pinching pennies and you want to create more opportunities for advertisers?

Corus is thinking FAST.

Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) is shaping up to be a major player. PWC’s most recent Global Entertainment & Media Outlook predicts it to be a primary money driver through 2026. FAST offers the best of all worlds: for consumers it means free, premium, curated content; for advertisers it offers more inventory, full digital measurement and efficient targeting.

And that is why Corus and Paramount Global are partnering to introduce Pluto TV in Canada this fall. Pluto TV will hit screens with more than 20,000 hours of content across more than 100 channels that encompass a full spectrum of free programming including drama, comedy, lifestyle, kids, movies, around-the-clock news, and more.

Charters describes the deal with Paramount Global as a natural fit. The companies already have a longstanding partnership that spans everything from content licensing to co productions. And with Pluto TV currently streaming to a global audience of nearly 70 million in more than 30 countries, it’s a proven platform that’s ready for the Canadian market right out of the box.

Pluto TV also means more choice for advertisers, who gain access to a huge new ad-supported streaming platform they can trust.

“This is all studio-quality TV and movie content,” Charters says. “It’s completely brand-safe. It does everything [advertisers] always valued about TV and brings some of the targeting capabilities of digital. So they’re still getting TV’s reach, but we can tell them a lot more about the audience. And they can target their ads more narrowly to different types of consumers and content.”

Charters says Corus plans to bring to bear all its expertise, relationships and strength when it comes to making the service successful in Canada – making the most of its TV, radio and digital assets.

That full-court push applies to creating client-centric solutions as well, as Corus’ sales teams bring all assets to the table through an integrated sales model. By bundling Pluto TV alongside the full suite of TV, radio, digital and social assets, Corus is able to achieve advertisers’ goals by reaching relevant audiences across all platforms.

While the technology changes, Charters says, the job remains the same. It’s about engaging consumers while simultaneously solving problems for clients, wherever the content gets delivered.

“The job is never done,” he sums. “We can never stop innovating. Five years ago, very few people were talking about FAST, and now it’s the next big thing in global streaming.”

“At the end of the day, we’re building a company that’s going to be around for a long time. So we’re going to continue to look for new ways to put content in front of viewers and make sure we have the right mix of products that cater to both audiences and advertisers. Pluto TV is the latest, greatest example of that.”

For more information on Corus Entertainment’s advertising solutions please contact – salesinquiries@corusent.com