CBC’s Future: By The Numbers
How Canada’s public broadcaster is navigating digital disruption, financial pressures, and a shifting media landscape to secure its relevance.
Drawing from the latest CBC/Radio-Canada Annual Report for 2024-2025, it’s clear the public broadcaster is at a critical juncture. Faced with proliferating disinformation, economic uncertainty, and rapid technological shifts, the report frames CBC/Radio-Canada’s role as more crucial than ever. It paints a picture of an institution grappling with the decline of traditional media while aggressively pushing into the digital frontier to meet Canadians where they are. This deep dive into their own numbers reveals a strategy focused on digital growth, local connection, and reflecting a contemporary Canada, all while navigating significant financial headwinds.
The Digital Pivot in Action
The report underscores a clear and urgent shift toward digital platforms. While traditional linear TV and radio usage continues to decline across all age groups, internet usage remains robust, with 93% of Canadian adults using it weekly. You can see this trend reflected in the broadcaster’s own performance metrics. CBC/Radio-Canada content on YouTube, for instance, was viewed a staggering 1.6 billion times over the past year. This isn’t just a passive strategy; the corporation is actively expanding its digital footprint. CBC launched 12 new local news FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) channels, and Radio-Canada introduced more vidéojournaux, an innovative mobile video news format, to serve Canadians on the platforms they prefer.
This digital-first approach is also evident in their sports coverage. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games became a major digital event, generating a record 24.3 million hours of content viewed on the broadcaster’s digital platforms. This digital viewership figure is more than double the numbers for the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 games combined. The Paralympics saw an even more dramatic digital surge, with hours viewed increasing by 153% compared to the previous games. These numbers signal that when it comes to major national events, you and other Canadians are increasingly turning to digital streams for access.
Financial Realities and Funding Pressures
While digital engagement is growing, the financial picture is more complex. The annual report is candid about the “extraordinary challenges” facing the media industry, noting that growth in digital revenue is not yet sufficient to offset the decline in traditional advertising and subscription revenues. Total revenue for 2024-2025 was $588.7 million, a significant 19.3% increase from the previous year, but this was largely driven by the Paris Olympics. The underlying trend for non-Olympics-related TV advertising revenue was a decline due to a softer market.
Government funding, the bedrock of the CBC’s operational budget, saw a slight decrease of 2.0% to $1.407 billion. The report explains this was mainly because the previous year included one-time retroactive salary inflation funding. For the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year, the government has confirmed a $42 million one-time investment, which, combined with workforce reductions announced in late 2023, is intended to mitigate some of the financial pressures. However, the long-term financial sustainability model remains a central challenge, with rising costs for production, labour, and technology creating persistent pressure.
Doubling Down on Local Connections
A key strategic priority highlighted throughout the report is strengthening the broadcaster’s presence in local communities. The corporation has started using its share of Google’s compensation to Canadian media organizations to hire 30 new journalists in 22 underserved communities, including Squamish, B.C., and Red Deer, Alberta. This move directly addresses the goal of being present in local communities and sharing their unique perspectives with the rest of Canada.
This local focus extends beyond news. The “Collab” program, a partnership with public libraries, visited every province and territory, bringing CBC/Radio-Canada into community hubs across the country. Furthermore, fundraising initiatives like the “Make the Season Kind” campaign and the Media Food Drive raised millions for local charities and food banks, demonstrating a tangible commitment to community engagement. The perception survey data reflects the importance of this connection, with 79% of Canadians agreeing there is a clear role and need for CBC/Radio-Canada into the future, up from 76%.
Reflecting Contemporary Canada
The report also emphasizes the mandate to reflect Canada’s diverse population. This is measured not only in content but also in the composition of the workforce. As of March 31, 2025, the CBC/Radio-Canada workforce was 50.3% women, 2.0% Indigenous Peoples, 11.2% persons with disabilities, and 34.1% racialized people. The representation for women, persons with disabilities, and racialized people exceeds the available labour force benchmarks.
In its programming, CBC/Radio-Canada offers content in eight Indigenous languages through CBC North and provides its international service, RCI, in seven languages to connect with diverse communities both at home and abroad. Initiatives like the National Indigenous Strategy and the National Accessibility Plan are designed to ensure equitable representation and access for all Canadians. The broadcaster also dedicated a full day of its international Public Broadcasters International conference to Indigenous Peoples and public broadcasting, recognizing the importance of this partnership for supporting Indigenous culture and reconciliation.
The Data Brief
Digital Dominance: YouTube views hit 1.6 billion, and Paris Olympics digital viewership reached a record 24.3 million hours.
Revenue Boost: Total revenue increased 19.3% to $588.7 million, largely due to the Olympics, while government funding was $1.407 billion.
Local Investment: 30 new journalists are being hired in 22 underserved communities using funds from Google.
Positive Perception: 79% of Canadians believe there is a clear need and role for the public broadcaster in the future, an increase from 76%.
Workforce Diversity: The workforce is comprised of 50.3% women and 34.1% racialized people, both exceeding labour market availability.
The 2024-2025 Annual Report is ultimately a document about transformation. It details an institution actively reinventing itself to maintain its public service mandate in an era of unprecedented disruption. While the financial challenges are real and significant, the strategic direction is unambiguous: follow the audience into the digital space, deepen roots in local communities, and hold up a mirror to the nation’s evolving diversity. The success of this transformation will not be measured by audience share alone, but by its ability to remain a trusted, unifying force in a fragmented world. In the digital age, a public broadcaster’s greatest value may lie not just in what it creates, but in the shared space it protects for all.
Source Documents
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. (2025). Annual Report 2024-2025.