Canada's Bell Media Says FAST News Channel Growing Quickly

The president of Bell Media, Sean Cohan, last week emphasized the critical role of news in the company’s digital strategy. 

Bell Media, which owns CTV News—Canada’s largest English-language newsbrand across TV, radio, and print—reaches 28% of Canadians weekly, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report. Online, CTV News is the second-largest newsbrand with a 19% weekly reach, trailing CBC News at 23%, and is the most trusted at 63%, just ahead of CBC News at 62%.

While news is a small part of Bell Media’s portfolio, which includes Canada’s top TV network CTV, channels like Noovo, Astral’s out-of-home advertising, iHeartRadio Canada, and streaming service Crave, it remains a cornerstone of its digital transformation. 

The Press-Gazette UK reports Crave recently expanded its content by 30% to 40,000 hours, covering entertainment, news, sports, and kids’ programming, and introduced a bundled subscription with Disney+ and TSN.

Cohan highlighted CTV News’ success on FAST (free ad-supported television) channels, launched last year with ten themed streams, including a popular CTV News channel featuring national and local programming. These channels, available on platforms like LG Channels, Plex, The Roku Channel, and Samsung TV Plus, are seeing rapid growth, with audiences increasing by about 20% monthly. Unlike on-demand streaming, FAST channels offer scheduled programming with ads, resembling traditional TV.

Cohan noted that FAST channels, still emerging in Canada compared to the more mature U.S. market, attract younger and diverse audiences, suggesting news remains relevant. He stressed the need for agility in delivering news across various platforms to meet evolving consumer preferences, countering claims of news’ decline. “The demise of news has been greatly exaggerated,” he said, emphasizing its reimagined role in Bell Media’s digital ecosystem.