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You can save money by cutting cable or satellite in Canada, but the national data do not show that households generally save thousands of dollars a year. The result depends on what you cancel and what you add: streaming subscriptions, any increase in internet costs, equipment, taxes and contract charges. Compare your own bills over a full year to find the real difference.

What the Canadian spending figures do—and don’t—show

Canadian spending has shifted away from traditional broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs), such as cable and satellite TV, and toward online undertakings. But the figures are sector-level estimates, not a comparison of the same households before and after cutting cable.

Measure Earlier figure Later figure What it means
Estimated average monthly household expenditure on BDU services $36.20 in 2021 $28.60 in 2024 Calculated by the CRTC from category revenues and the number of Canadian households; it is not a measured cord-cutter’s bill.
Estimated average monthly household expenditure on online undertakings $25.70 in 2021 $34.70 in 2024 Calculated on the same sector-level basis; it does not show what any one household pays.
Canadian household spending on cable, satellite and other program distribution services, including streaming $11.3 billion in 2024 Statistics Canada figure in seasonally adjusted, current prices; it is an aggregate, not a household savings estimate.

The CRTC’s 2025 estimates show online-undertaking expenditure per household above BDU expenditure in 2024. That comparison describes category averages, not necessarily a direct migration of each dollar from a cable bill to a streaming bill. Statistics Canada reported that video and audio subscription service prices rose 21.0% from 2019 to 2024 and 52.7% from 2014 to 2024. Multiple subscriptions can add up, and some households keep cable or satellite alongside streaming.

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How to calculate your household’s annual net change

Use actual Canadian-dollar amounts from your bills. The calculation is:

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Annual net change = 12 × (current TV distribution bill − replacement streaming services − added internet cost − recurring equipment or service costs) − one-time equipment cost − cancellation or contract costs.

A positive result means the change lowers your costs by that amount over the first year. A negative result means the replacement costs more. For a typical later year, leave out one-time costs that will not recur, but keep any continuing contract or service charges that still apply.

  1. Record the current TV total. Use the amount you actually pay, including taxes, equipment rental, add-ons and any charges required to keep the package. If a promotional rate is ending, record both the current rate and the post-promotion rate, using the latter for a realistic ongoing comparison.
  2. List the replacement services. Add the monthly cost of each streaming subscription you plan to keep, including taxes and any recurring equipment or service charges. Include paid live-TV or sports access only if you intend to buy it.
  3. Count only the internet increase in the net-change equation. If you already pay for home internet, do not count that whole existing bill as a new cost. Add the difference only if replacing TV means you need a more expensive internet plan or incur other additional connectivity costs.
  4. Include one-time and exit costs. Add equipment you genuinely need to buy and any cancellation or remaining-contract costs. Do not assume new hardware is necessary: a compatible smart TV, game console or other device may already support the services you want.
  5. Compare the ongoing total as well as the first year. Show the full entertainment-plus-internet budget for context, even when internet is not an added cost. Recalculate using post-promotion prices so an introductory offer does not stand in for the long-term bill.

For example, if the amounts on your own bills are $A per month for TV, $B per month for streaming, and $C per month for any internet increase, then the recurring monthly difference is $A − $B − $C − any other recurring costs. Multiply that result by 12, then subtract one-time and exit costs for the first-year net change. Use your real figures rather than an average from another household.

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Check what you would lose or need to replace

A lower monthly total is useful only if the replacement still fits how your household watches TV. Provider lineups, prices, sports rights, blackout restrictions, device support and cancellation terms can change; check current details for your location and the specific services before cancelling.

Live channels, local reception and specific events

  • Write down the channels, programs and events your household actually watches, especially live news, local broadcasts and sports.
  • Check whether the service you are considering carries the exact channel or event you want in Canada. Rights and availability can differ by event, location and date.
  • Consider whether an antenna could receive local broadcast channels at your address. Reception depends on location and conditions; do not assume it will replace every channel in a paid package.
  • Check for blackout restrictions and whether the content is live, delayed or available on demand.

Internet, devices and household use

Replacing TV service with internet-delivered video does not eliminate the need for internet. Statistics Canada’s 2026 page, reporting 2024 data, says 96.4% of Canadian households had access to unlimited broadband at a minimum 50/10 Mbps, and average monthly high-speed residential broadband use was 585.5 GB. Those national figures do not establish access, affordability, speed or reliability at a particular address.

  • Check availability, price, speed, reliability and data terms at your address. Consider how streaming will fit alongside other household internet use.
  • Confirm that the television or other device you plan to use supports the services you select, and consider how many people may watch at once.
  • Include an internet upgrade in your calculation only if it is an added cost caused by the change, while showing the full internet-and-entertainment budget separately for context.
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What the survey and rules say about changing services

In a 2026 CRTC public opinion research report, 24% of respondents said their household had changed services in the preceding month to make them more affordable. Among that group—not among all respondents—24% said they changed cable TV. The survey indicates that some households make changes to manage costs; it does not measure cord-cutting savings.

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CRTC policy 2026-43 describes protections effective June 12, 2026, for certain changes to cellphone and internet plans. It addresses fees related to activating or modifying those plans and fees whose main purpose is to discourage plan changes or cancellation. Do not assume those protections cover every television package or online subscription; check the terms that apply to your service.

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Separately, the CRTC says particular online streaming services operating in Canada may have registration, basic-condition and base-contribution requirements supporting Canadian and Indigenous content. Those regulatory requirements provide context, but they do not establish that a particular service raised its price because of them.

When cord-cutting is more likely to reduce the bill

  • The TV package costs more than the streaming services you will actually keep.
  • You already have suitable home internet and will not need a more expensive plan.
  • You can watch the live channels and events that matter without paying for overlapping services or extra packages.
  • Equipment, cancellation and contract costs do not erase the recurring difference.

If the calculation is close, try it with the post-promotion prices and the full list of services the household expects to use. A smaller TV bill alone is not proof of savings if the replacement budget grows by as much or more.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.