WATERLOO, ON – Netflix's popularity continues to surge in Canada, now accounting for between 30%-40% of downstream traffic in the peak evening hours, according to data from Sandvine.
Three years ago, Netflix accounted for just 13.5% of evening traffic in Canada. No other paid over-the-top (OTT) video service accounts for more than 1% of traffic in the evening, making Canada a prime candidate for the introduction of new streaming options, Sandvine continued. By comparison, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, and HBO Go account for almost 7% of peak downstream traffic in the United States.
Other unique traits found on Canadian networks include:
– P2P Filesharing still represents over 15% of total fixed network traffic on many networks, while in the U.S. it is below 10%;
– No surprise: Canadians love to livestream hockey, with data from one operator showing some Olympic men's hockey games accounted for over 35% of traffic;
– Over 25% of downstream traffic is being generated by social networking apps, particularly Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; and
– YouTube is the single largest source of mobile traffic, accounting for over 20% of downstream traffic.
Sandvine said that the data was collected as part of its Global Internet Phenomena Program.
