ANALYSIS: Canadian cablecos, specialty channels, under growth pressure as media preferences shift

AS THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY, indeed as the whole media world, continues to change, Canadian cable companies and specialty channels are going to struggle to find growth, according to a report from BMO Capital Markets. Telco IPTV services, such as Telus’ Optik and Bell’s Fibe along with the myriad online video options available to Canadians to view their favourite shows will keep pressure on Canadian cable companies and specialty channel owners. While about 62% of Canadian households subscribe to cable, as Telus and Bell’s IPTV options gain strength cable’s level of penetration will decline by a percent a year says the...