Encore+ YouTube channel marks one year of bringing back iconic Canadian content
Toronto, November 7, 2018 – Encore+, a YouTube channel showcasing iconic Canadian content from years gone by, launched to positive reviews last November 7, 2017. From the start, the channel garnered an impressive following and viewership rate. Today, as Encore+ marks its first year, nearly 30K YouTube users have subscribed to the channel and viewed curated, iconic Canadian content nearly 6.2M times.
“Encore+ has been a labour of love,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, Canada Media Fund. “It now seems like years ago when we first started working on the project. After many years of discussion with the industry and the highly successful launch last year, I couldn’t be prouder of our work on Encore+ alongside our industry partners, as well as the demonstrated results. We’ve given new life to iconic Canadian content. Thanks to this channel, rights holders are monetizing and preserving their legacy titles, with new generations of Canadians, as well as audiences around the world rediscovering childhood favourites and memorable Canadian stories.”
The enthusiastic Encore+ community has blossomed, returning to the channel regularly and suggesting various films and TV shows they would like to see listed or more episodes added. The channel has acquired 1,647 pieces of individual content, including feature-length films, shorts, documentaries, drama series, children’s and youth content from Indigenous, English and French-language rights holders. Fifty-four per cent of views are from within Canada and 46 per cent from outside, primarily the U.S. with 27 per cent of views. Since launch, Encore+ audiences have enjoyed 1.6M hours of Canadian content.
Among the most popular Encore+ English-language titles we find Mr. Dressup; Are You Afraid of the Dark?; Deaf Planet; This Is Wonderland; The Littlest Hobo; National Parks Project and Ready or Not. Encore+ French-speaking fans are coming back for more of La Petite Vie; Meilleur que le chocolat; Délivrez-moi; Minuit, le soir; Pin-Pon, and Cornemuse.
Since launch, the offer of content on Encore+ has continued to grow and diversify, with new iconic titles added on an ongoing basis. Among the titles to be released in the coming weeks, we find more seasons of Encore+ favourites such as Danger Bay – Cap Danger and Ready or Not; features such as Nico the Unicorn and Paul Tana’s La Sarrasine – The Saracin Woman; youth series such as Spread Your Wings – Les Héritiers, and award-winning docs by directors such Carlos Ferrand (Americano), Dominic Champagne (Anticosti), Eve Lamont (L’Imposture), Sylvain L’Esperance (Un fleuve humain); Caroline Bâcle (Lost Rivers – Rivieres perdus) and Jobie Weetaluktuk (Kakalakkuvik), among others.
An added feature on Encore+ is the curated playlists with the NFB, HotDocs, imagineNATIVE, National Canadian Film Day and Historica Canada.
Working closely with Canada’s film and television producers, distributors, broadcasters, unions, guilds and other industry associations, Encore+ is spearheaded by the Canada Media Fund with support from Google Canada, Bell Media, BroadbandTV (BBTV), and Deluxe Toronto. Telefilm Canada is also a key partner in this endeavor, providing financial and promotional support.
Enjoy hundreds of Canadian productions today. Subscribe at youtube.com/EncorePlusMedia and get the latest updates on Encore+ by following on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Encore+
Encore+ invites YouTube audiences to discover – or rediscover – memorable Canadian movies and TV shows, wherever they are in the world. Comedies, dramas (even the romantic kind), children’s shows, documentaries, short films, and feature films – it’s all on Encore+ for fans of all ages to enjoy. Launched by industry pros, the channel brings to life great moments from the past on today’s screens. Check out the various playlists, with hundreds of titles fans won’t want to miss. Subscribe to Encore+ and be first in line for new English and French content added each week.
About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors. Please visit cmf-fmc.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
André Ferreira
Communications Manager
Canada Media Fund
416-214-4402
aferreira@cmf-fmc.ca
