With 85% of Canadian streamers now regularly watching streaming content that contains ads, it’s worth asking the question: What do they actually like to see during the commercial break?
Depending on the platform, streamers see about four to eight minutes of ads per hour on ad-supported streaming platforms.
For brands, this time is a prime opportunity to drive awareness, capture attention, and entertain highly engaged viewers. But what do audiences actually expect during those breaks?
We asked more than 1,700 Canadian streamers about their TV ad preferences. What they told us can be summed up as the following:
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Keep it distinctly Canadian.
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Be helpful.
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Remember that tone is important.
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Know your audience.
Let's look at each of these in a little more detail.
Distinctly Canadian: the majority of streamers prefer ads that reflect Canadian culture
Canadian audiences are saturated with US media, making localized creative an effective way to cut through the noise and drive engagement.
Research firm Kantar illustrated the risks of not tailoring messaging to a Canadian audience, finding that more than a third (35%) of ads that were effective in the US underperformed in Canada, pointing to “differences in brand equity, category experience, advertising style, and cultural factors” as reasons for the underperformance.
The same report identified what characterises effective ads in Canada and the US, finding that while the presence of celebrities in ads is a marker of performance in the US, this is not the case in Canada, where audiences prefer nostalgia and vignettes.
This preference for distinctly Canadian ad content was reflected in 2026 VOD Evolution, our annual study into streaming preferences and behaviours in Canada. It found that:
- 59% of Canadian streamers felt more positively about brands highlighting Canadian-made products in their ads.
- 53% prefer ads that reflect Canadian culture.
- 51% are more likely to remember a brand if its ad included something distinctly Canadian.
Be helpful: two-thirds of Canadian streamers find interactive ads useful
Ads on streaming TV can do more than your average 30” spot.
Branded placements can help streamers solve that very modern problem of finding something to watch among countless options, while interactive ads let them take action without interrupting their viewing.
Roku allows streamers the capability to place an order directly through their TV using their remote and receive offers via email or text message.
Our 2026 VOD Evolution study suggested that many Canadian streamers like ads that make life easier for them in this way – almost two-thirds (64%) said they find interactive ads “useful”.
We also asked what other kinds of ads they currently, or would, consider useful, finding:
- 42% said they’d find ads that let them scan a QR code to reach a brand website or app useful.
- 45% said they’d find ads that let them receive an offer by email direct from their TV useful (and 43% said the same for text)
- 65% said they’d find ads that help them find the TV shows, movies or live events they want to watch useful.
Brands advertising with Roku can curate themed lists of TV shows, channels, or movies for streamers. Our research suggests that streamers are looking for this kind of guidance, and would appreciate it – 37% said that they’d like a brand more if it sponsored a selection of content in order to simplify choosing the next thing to watch.
Half of Canadian streamers want ads that match the mood
The tone of an ad is also important for Canadian streamers – many would prefer it to match what they’re watching. Our study found:
- 51% said they prefer it when the tone of a TV ad matches the programme it’s in (e.g. a funny ad runs during a comedy show)
- 50% said that they’re more likely to pay attention to ads that reflect or are relevant to their mood.
Know your audience: first-party subscriber data helps advertisers reach the right audience
Canada’s culturally diverse population means a one-size-fits-all approach to ad creative rarely works. Streaming TV solves this by pairing the high engagement of traditional television with digital targeting precision. Backed by over 100 first-party data segments based on demographics, interests, and streaming behaviors, Roku helps brands deliver tailored creative to the exact right audience. Whether your ad needs to be helpful, tonally appropriate, or distinctly Canadian to drive measurable results.
To find out more about how Roku can help brands meet specific audiences, the importance of Canadian content in streaming ads, and how Canadian streaming behaviour is evolving, download the 2026 VOD Evolution report.
