English Specialty Station Shake Up!

Nelson Costa

Media Director – Involved Media Director

 

Back in June of 2024, Rogers made headlines with its blockbuster deal with NBC Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery. This deal strengthened Rogers’ portfolio of English Specialty stations in the market and introduced new dynamics in the competitive landscape.

This transition began in September 2024, when Rogers reintroduced Bravo! to Canada. This resulted in adjustments to some of the programming that Corus was airing on Slice.

As of January this year, things have become even more dynamic, with both Bell and Corus launching their rebranded networks, while Rogers introduced its newly acquired stations.

For those whose heads are still spinning, here’s a breakdown of the “new”/”re-branded” and “newly acquired” stations and their ownership.

Brand New/Re-Branded Stations

Corus

Home Network, Flavour Network

Bell Media

USA Network, Oxygen True Crime, CTV Nature, CTV Wild and CTV Speed

Newly Acquired

Rogers

Bravo! Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, Magnolia Network

*Discovery Science, Motor Trend, Animal Planet, Cooking Channel and OWN will only provide programming on their Connected Streaming service City TV+

With the first five weeks of 2025 data available, we now have early insights into how these changes are shaping up.

Early Performance Trends

The data indicates varying levels of audience engagement across different networks. The newly acquired Rogers stations are experiencing a transition period, with viewership adjusting.

• Limited distribution of some newly acquired stations on major BDUs (e.g., Bell, Telus, Cogeco, etc.)

• Audience discovery challenges—some viewers are still adapting to the new channel lineups and availability.

Trends Across the Big Three

What is also interesting to note is the overall share of viewership across the Big 3.

Here’s a breakout based on the AD18+ demographic

Source: Numeris TV Meter-Eng Cda-M-Su 2a-2a-12/30/24-02/02/25

*Please note Other includes CBC, Anthem Sports and Entertainment, Blue Ant and some other Independent Vendors

The Results

Here is some monthly data as well in regards to channel performance from September 2024 leading up to January of this year after channel acquisitions and/or re-brands:

Source: Numeris TV Meter-Eng Cda-M-Su 2a-2a-09/02/24-02/02/25

Corus stations have remained consistent and maintained their audiences from the transition from HGTV and Food Network into Home and Flavour.  Slice has also maintained it’s viewership since Bravo! came into the market in September.

Source: Numeris TV Meter-Eng Cda-M-Su 2a-2a-09/02/24-02/02/25

Rogers’ newly integrated stations are seeing a period of audience transition. While Bravo! has maintained its viewership, other networks such as HGTV, Discovery, and Food Network are adjusting to their new distribution model and programming shifts.

Source: Numeris TV Meter-Eng Cda-M-Su 2a-2a-09/02/24-02/02/25

Bell Media is seeing an increase in audience engagement across most of its newly introduced channels, with Oxygen True Crime, CTV Nature, CTV Wild, and CTV Speed all showing gains

Looking Ahead

As we track these performance trends, it’s important to consider that this is still early-stage data, and shifts may occur throughout the season. Additionally, all networks have their streaming and Connected TV platforms, which will play a crucial role in complementing linear TV and reaching audiences who may have moved to digital platforms.

The story of this industry shake-up is still evolving, and as networks fine-tune their strategies and distribution agreements, audience behaviors will continue to shift. Over time, we hope to see a more balanced competitive landscape.

With so many changes happening in the TV landscape, navigating where and how to allocate your media budget is more critical than ever. Whether you’re looking for insights on channel performance, audience reach, or optimizing your media mix, feel free to reach out to me or my team at Involved Media.

Let’s discuss how we can help you navigate this evolving space.