Public Opinion: How Canadians View the Contributions of Global Studios & Defining Canadian Content
June 20, 2025
*Originally published January 20, 2024. Last updated June 20, 2025*
On behalf of the Motion Picture Association – Canada, Bruce Anderson (formerly Chairman of Abacus Data, currently Partner, spark*advocacy) has conducted several public opinion studies over recent years, including a major survey of 2,500 adults in December 2024. In June 2025, Anderson re-tested earlier findings to see if any material change in public opinion had taken place, as well as probing on a number of new items. In survey after survey, key conclusions remain the same:
- Canadians express significant appreciation for the production work that streaming services and global studios do in Canada. People see both economic and cultural benefits and want policies that encourage more of these projects as a result.
- Canadians believe the definition of Canadian content should not hinge on whether a film or show is owned by a Canadian production company – they prefer to see a broader set of benefits for Canadians used to frame policy in this area, including recognizing productions that hire locally, feature Canadian locations and use Canadian studios.
