Canadians are overwhelmed with choice when it comes to content, with most saying there are too many streaming services to keep track of. Moreover, Canadians are spending 14 minutes on average picking something to watch.
The details come from a new survey about Canadians’ watch habits conducted by Rogers and Angus Reid as part of a promotional push for Rogers’ latest Xfinity upgrade using Comcast’s Entertainment OS tech. The survey took place in August 2026, conducted nationally in English and French with a sample size of 1,015.
The survey found that Canadians take an average of about 14 minutes to choose something to watch, with about 22 per cent of respondents spending 20 minutes or more. Those numbers line up with results from similar studies — for example, Roku shared last month that Canadians spend about 80 hours a year (about 13 minutes per day) deciding what to watch.
Alongside that, 42 per cent of respondents said they chose content purely because it appeared in a “top 10” or trending list, while another 30 per cent said they chose content recommended by a streaming service.
The survey noted that 86 per cent of Canadians think that there are too many streaming services to keep track of, with 82 per cent of respondents saying that they want to find all of the available shows/movies easily in one place, no matter who makes the movies.
In a follow-up question, 88 per cent said that such a universal platform would simplify their entertainment experience, with 86 per cent saying it would help them find content faster.
Xfinity isn’t the only solution
Naturally, Rogers used the results to position its Xfinity TV platform as the universal option that solves these problems, but it’s far from the only one. Truth is, several companies are trying to solve the streaming app conundrum, though few have perfected it so far. Here are some alternatives we’ve tested:
Apple TV: Not to be confused with Apple’s streaming platform, the Apple TV box is a solid universal platform that lets you search across apps and streaming platforms.
Amazon Prime Video: While most think of Prime Video as another streaming service, Amazon lets you add additional subscriptions called channels, meaning you can easily bundle multiple services in one place, making it a surprisingly good universal platform (and it even has sports!).
Google TV: Similar to Apple TV, Google TV offers a platform for all your streaming apps, though I’ve found it struggles with searching for content across apps. If Google, the search company, can ever figure out how to make its TV search work well, it’ll be up there with Apple TV.
Telus Optik TV: This works like Google TV but with a different skin. You can customize the screen based on what apps you use, and it lets you group all your subscriptions under one payment. A decent option for those who already have services with Telus.
Bell Fibe TV: Bell touts Fibe TV as a “no hardware required” TV service, meaning you can stream it with an app and easily take it on the road or watch while commuting. You can also add the basic Netflix and Disney+ add-ons to get many of the top streaming apps under one payment, which is pretty close to the Xfinity experience.
Fubo: While it mainly centres around sports, you can cut a lot of the apps that you have on your streaming box with just a Fubo subscription — which includes DAZN, MLB Network, NFL Network, CHCH, NBATV Canada, and more. I imagine more news/current-events-focused channels like Global or CBC will come down the line to further enhance the experience.
River TV: Gives you access to 25 TV channels (including kids’ networks!) for $16.99/mo, and it’s Canadian.
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