Intro
Online entertainment has given Canadians new avenues to have fun, connect, and enjoy their downtime. When winters are freezing and everywhere feels like a drive away, the importance of at-home entertainment cannot be stressed enough.
What’s interesting, however, is how entertainment trends have evolved specifically in Canada. From unique streaming services to a new wave of interest in online games, here’s what the top search trends of the last five years reveal about the future of online entertainment in Canada:
Online Games are Breaking Out
While the bulk of entertainment searches in Canada over the last five years are still largely directed towards in-person destinations (entertainment complexes and sports games), online games are officially breaking out. Canadians are spending more time on short-form game content like Wordle and also on online casinos than ever before.
In fact, searches for the top real money online casino Canada has to offer have increased by 40 to 80%, with more people searching directly for online casinos than for in-person casinos over the past five years.
Mobile Games are Steadily Becoming More Popular
The general trend towards mobile games has been steadily increasing since records began in 2004, rising to a massive high in December 2025. It seems that more and more Canadians are searching not specifically for any one game, but for new games to enjoy, giving developers the opportunity to find a hungry audience that’s looking for better ways to spend their downtime.
Canadian ’s are Turning Towards Canada-Geared Content
While Canadians are absolutely watching the big shows coming out of the US, the biggest change in search trends shows that it’s Canadian-based, produced shows that are getting the most love. The most notable search change in the past five years in the breakout category is related to _Heated Rivalry, _a series based not only on a novel by a Canadian author but also adapted for television in Canada. It’s since become a global phenomenon with the Los Angeles Times claiming it’s ‘changed the game for Canadian TV’.
Streaming Has Exploded
One of the search terms that has exploded in recent years is related to streaming services. Specifically, Paramount Plus (breakout), Kick Streaming (+1700%), Peacock (+850%), Pluto TV (+700%), and Fubo (+700%) are showing a unique trend in Canada of diversification away from Netflix.
VR Makes Steady Gains
While VR hasn’t seen the explosive growth that other online entertainment industries have, it has seen steady growth and repeated interest around every December for the past five years, when Christmas shopping takes off. This, along with a small but steady growth in VR searches (+6%) and more substantial interest in specific VR technologies like Quest VR (+400%), shows that Canadians are slowly adopting the technology to expand their online entertainment repertoire.
Reddit Becomes More Popular
In Canada, big giants like Facebook have seen a -60% loss of interest, YouTube -20%, and even Google a -10% of search, whereas smaller platforms like Reddit have seen huge gains in the past five years, with a +90% increase in searches. This direct, peer-to-peer forum-based platform is outpacing all other social sites, proving that Canadians just want to connect.
