Friends of Canadian Media Challenges Canadians to Swap One U.S. Streamer for a Canadian One
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Canadians urged to “stream Canadian” as trade talks put Canadian culture in the crosshairs
OTTAWA, ON — September 9, 2026 — As Canada navigates a critical period in Canada-U.S. trade relations, Friends of Canadian Media is launching a new campaign encouraging Canadians to make a simple choice: stream Canadian.
The Team Canada, Stream Canada campaign is calling on Canadians to consider where their streaming dollars go and, whenever possible, choose Canadian services over American streaming giants.
Canadians already understand the importance of making Canadian consumer choices. They deliberately seek out Canadian-made products at the grocery store, buy Canadian products when shopping and support Canadian businesses in their communities.
But when it comes to the media we watch every night, that same consideration has not always been part of the equation.
“Canadians have learned that the choices we make as consumers matter. We know that buying Canadian can support Canadian workers, businesses, and communities. We need to start thinking about our entertainment choices the same way,” said Raj Shoan, Executive Director, Friends of Canadian Media.
“Every streaming subscription is a choice about where our money goes and what kind of media system we want to have. Canadian stories, Canadian creators, and Canadian media institutions deserve our support, especially at a time when Canadian culture risks becoming a bargaining chip in trade negotiations.”
The campaign comes at a critical moment for Canada’s broadcasting and cultural sectors. The United States has identified Canada’s Online Streaming Act among the issues it wants to raise in the review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
At the same time, Canada’s broadcasting regulator has taken steps to ensure that large online streaming services benefiting from the Canadian market contribute to the Canadian broadcasting system.
But the federal government has since announced that it intends to direct the CRTC to review its recent decisions on online streamers.
Friends of Canadian Media says Canadians should have a voice in that conversation.
“Canada’s cultural policies should not be something that gets traded away behind closed doors,” said Shoan. “Our stories are not a bargaining chip. Canadians should be able to decide what kind of media system we want, and we should be able to support that system with our own choices.”
The Team Canada, Stream Canada campaign will encourage Canadians to:
- Choose Canadian streaming services over American streaming giants when there is a Canadian option that meets their needs;
- Look for Canadian-made films and television shows across the services they already use;
- Support Canadian creators and producers by watching, sharing and recommending Canadian programming; and
- Tell the federal government to stand up for Canadian culture in trade negotiations and protect Canada’s ability to support its own cultural industries.
“Buying Canadian is not about rejecting the rest of the world,” said Raj. “It is about recognizing that Canada has something worth protecting and supporting. We can enjoy international entertainment while still making room and making a market for our own stories.”
Friends of Canadian Media is urging Canadians to make their next streaming choice a vote for Canadian culture. The ask is simple: swap one U.S. streaming subscription for a Canadian one – and tell Ottawa that Canada’s culture isn’t for sale.
Because what we watch matters. Where our money goes matters. And Canadian culture matters.
Take the Team Canada, Stream Canada Pledge: friends.ca/streamcanada
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Friends of Canadian Media is a non-partisan citizens’ movement that stands up for Canadian voices in Canadian media – from public broadcasting to news, entertainment, culture, and online civil discourse, we work to protect and defend Canada’s rich cultural sovereignty and the healthy democracy it sustains. We are a not-for-profit organization that receives no government funding or donations from political parties or CRTC-regulated entities.