When it comes to viewership among the broadcast networks and news channels, CBC remains an essential service. As Donald Trump would say, “The numbers were Huuge!”
For last Thursday’s English language debate, the public broadcasters drew an overnight, estimated average minute audience of 1,239,000 viewers. Keep in mind the debates were scheduled earlier than usual. going live between the hours of 7 pm and 9 pm.
Wednesday’s French language debate aired even earlier to avoid a conflict with a Montreal Canadiens game. Good thing too — the Habs won to make the playoffs. That April 16 French launguage debate drew an average minute audience of 458,000 on CBC, 285 per cent higher than 2021’s audience estimated at 119,000.
CBC’s research department estimates that the April 17 English tally was up 29 per cent from the audience figures for the last English debate tally in 2021. According to their math, a combined 2.6 million Canadians tuned in to the English debate on both CBC’s main network and CBC News Network. In addition, another 384,700 Canadians livestreamed the English debate on the CBC News YouTube channel.
They also found that four million listeners tuned in to CBC radio for the English debate, up 750 per cent from 2021. Another three million unique visitors got their debate fix digitally from cbcnews.ca as well as the CBC News App.
CBC’s average minute audience take of Thursday’s Federal Leader’s debate easily won the night ratings-wise in Canada but the other networks also drew a crowd. An estimated, overnight audience of 791,000 watched the debate live on CTV’s main network with another 237,000 watching on CTV News Channel. Numeris estimates the combined CTV Total at 1,095,000 2+ viewers. Global averaged 480,000 for their coverage of the debate, not bad but less than they pulled for Matlock in overnights (640.000) later the same evening. In Ontario, an estimated 59,000 viewers watched the debates on CP24.
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Election Day in Canada is Monday, April 28.
