Introduction
As a new Canadian, it’s important to understand how broadcast television works in your new country. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know.
Canada is home to dozens of informative and entertaining television programs, including sports, drama, comedy, and news, just to name a few. TV is a great way to learn more about your new country and the good news for you is there are plenty of affordable options.
Read on to learn all about Canadian television programming and internet streaming services for all your entertainment and news needs.
Section 1: Understanding the Canadian Broadcasting Landscape
Canada has a number of different broadcast channels in Canada, which provide access to entertaining shows and informative news programs, many of which are in English, French, and some are even multi-lingual. Here’s a quick cheat sheet on the broadcasting channels in Canada. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s enough to get you started.
- BNN Bloomberg
- City TV
- CTV Television Network
- CBC New Network
- CP24
- Discovery
- E!
- Family
- Food Network
- Much
- Showcase
- Sportsnet
- Treehouse TV
- TSN
- The Weather Network
- YTV
Each of these channels specializes in various forms of television, from sitcoms, dramas, and sports to music and news. Some are even targeted to children, such as Treehouse TV and YTV.
To watch these channels, you can sign up for a television service, such as streaming or satellite — more on that below.
Section 2: Accessing Broadcast Television Services
There are a number of different broadcast television service providers in Canada. The major ones include Bell, Rogers, Shaw, and Telus, but there are several other, smaller providers who operate in specific regions.
As a newcomer, you can search for different services online to compare the best prices. For our purposes, we’ll take a look at the offerings from Bell Virgin.
Bell offers both Fibe TV, which is powered by its Fibe internet service, as well as satellite television subscriptions. First, let’s look at Fibe.
To make it easy to decide on a package, Bell breaks their options into three categories: Good, Better, and Best. You can compare the packages online to see which one is best suited for your needs, with each step up in price offering additional channels. Fibe TV can also be bundled with Fibe internet to unlock discounts.
Bell satellite starts at $25 a month and allows you to build your own package. Similar to Fibe TV, there are also three tiers to choose from: – Good, Better, and Best – if you’d like to take the guesswork out of creating your own package.
Another, newer, option for accessing broadcast television in Canada is Virgin Plus. Using their Virgin TV app, you access television stations in a similar way to cable, but you also get access to on-demand programs. You can stream on any device from anywhere with an easy to use app. Packages start at $35 a month and can be customized to add additional channels and streaming services. Virgin also offers internet, which can be bundled with TV for $80 a month. Bundling internet and television is a great idea for newcomers because it keeps your bills easier to manage and can help you save money with discounts.
In addition to traditional television, you can also choose from a number of streaming services in Canada. A few of them are even free and they include:
- CBC Gem: A free service that offers CBC programming through its app.
- TUBI: A free service that offers thousands of movies and television shows. Think of it as a free version of Netflix but with ads.
- Pluto TV: Another free service similar to TUBI that streams shows and movies.
- HGTV Go: A free app that gives you access to watch shows about home improvement, gardening, and real estate.
- BNN Bloomberg: A service that provides business news.
Of course, you can also sign up for paid streaming services in Canada, such as Netflix, Crave, and Amazon Prime for TV shows and movies, as well as TSN for sports.
Section 3: Factors to Consider for Newcomers
When deciding on a television service, you should consider a few things. Are you more interested in on-demand entertainment (like Netflix) or live television programs that offer everything from news and sports to dramas and comedies? Maybe you’d like a combination of them both.
The good news is that you don’t have to choose just one. You can sign up for broadcast television, to make sure you’ve got access to important local news, and also add any number of streaming services you’d like – and, as we covered, many of these are free.
If you decide to sign up for a broadcast television service, like the ones offered by Bell or Virgin, you’ll get a large package of channels that will not only keep you entertained with sports, television shows, and movies, but also informed with local and national news channels. Canada’s national news channels, such as CBC, CTV, and Global News, cover local, national, and international news – so you can be comfortable knowing you can follow along with important issues that affect everyone from your small community to the world at large.
If you’re interested in broadcast television, take a look at offerings from various providers. Compare prices, the term length (some require a commitment, like a year or two), promotional prices (some offer cheaper prices for the first few months before increasing the price), as well as the channels on offer. Research the channels that interest you and make sure they’re included in the package you choose. And, as mentioned, many television providers also let you customize your own packages.
Section 4: Accessing Television Services as a Newcomer
Luckily, television service providers make it easy to sign up as a newcomer. You can Google the one you’re interested in and follow the steps online. You can also find contact information to speak with a representative over the phone.
We’ll walk through the process, using Virgin Plus as an example. For this service you’ll also require Virgin internet. If you already have internet with another provider and don’t want to switch, you can look at alternatives, such as Bell TV.
Step 1. Navigate to the Virgin Plus website.
Step 2. Click “Order now”.
Step 3. If you’re a new member, type in your address. This will determine if the service is available to you.
Step 4. If it’s available, click “Let’s go”. If it’s not available, don’t worry: there are other TV providers that are available. It might just take some searching on the internet to find one that is.
Step 5. Choose your internet package.
Step 6. Choose your TV package and any add ons and click continue.
Step 7. Provide your information and check out.
It’s a simple process that takes just a few minutes. Whichever television service you provide, if installation is required, that’s typically included in the cost. You can choose a date that works for you for the installation of satellite dishes, if required.
Section 5: Additional Considerations for Newcomers
Canada has a lot of valuable programs for new Canadians to help you get settled into your new country. Many of them are free and are important to learning about the culture. You can access news and entertainment that’s exclusive to Canadians, as well as programs that are international.
Many programs are also available in languages other than English, which can add some comfort to your viewing experience. For example, Hockey Night in Canada, a popular Saturday night program, offers hockey broadcasts in Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Vietnamese, Tagalog, German and Arabic and can be accessed for free on the CBC app. What a great way to enjoy Canada’s favourite sport!
Conclusion
Signing up for broadcast television in Canada as a newcomer might seem intimidating since there are so many options. The good news is that all the providers make it very easy to sign up. You can do so online or over the telephone and there are options for every viewer.
Hopefully you’ve now got a better idea of how to sign up for television in Canada, including your broadcast and streaming options.
