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CBC Marks Its Biggest Day Ever on Digital as Record-Breaking Audiences Tune In for Federal Election News

Canadians spent 3.5 million hours on CBC digital platforms on April 28, the highest-ever day on record for the public broadcaster

Over 7 million Canadians tuned in to CANADA VOTES: 2025 ELECTION SPECIAL on CBC and CBC News Network

CANADA VOTES: 2025 ELECTION SPECIAL was streamed 5.2 million times on CBC’s digital platforms

There were 8 million unique visitors to cbcnews.ca and the CBC News App, with video views up 127 per cent from the 2021 election

1.4 million listeners tuned in to CBC Radio for election coverage, an increase of 11 per cent compared to 2021 

Canadians turned to CBC as polls closed across the country for news coverage of Canada’s 45th federal election on Monday, April 28, with close results across the country driving historic levels of engagement including CBC’s biggest day ever on digital platforms. 

*Photos from CANADA VOTES: 2025 ELECTION SPECIAL. Credit: Alex Lupul/CBC News*

CBC Audience Highlights for Federal Election Coverage: 

Digital:

  • Canadians spent 3.5 million hours on CBC digital platforms on April 28, the highest-ever day on record for the public broadcaster.
  • CANADA VOTES: 2025 ELECTION SPECIAL was streamed 5.2 million times across cbcnews.ca, the CBC News App, CBC Gem, CBC News YouTube and CBC News TikTok. 
  • There were 8 million unique visitors to cbcnews.ca and the CBC News App on April 28, with video views up 127 per cent over 2021 federal election coverage.
  • On the CBC News YouTube channel, CANADA VOTES: 2025 ELECTION SPECIAL captured 3.2 million total views, an increase of 228 per cent over the 2021 federal election special. 
  • On CBC Gem, the 2025 election special saw a 130 per cent increase in video views over the 2021 federal election special.

Television & Radio:

  • 7.14 million Canadians tuned in to CBC and CBC News Network for CBC News’ CANADA VOTES: 2025 ELECTION SPECIAL. 
  • CBC and CBC News Network drew a combined 2+ average minute audience of 1.25 million, an increase of 25 per cent compared to the 2021 federal election special.
  • Audiences peaked at 10:11 p.m. ET when 2.63 million viewers watched as Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton announced that the CBC News Decision Desk projected a Liberal government. 
  • 1.375 million listeners tuned in to CBC Radio for election night coverage, an increase of 11 per cent compared to the last federal election.

The free preview of CBC News Network continues on television, CBC Gem, CBCNews.ca and the CBC News app through May 5, providing more Canadians with full access to breaking news coverage, crucial analysis and key interviews in the wake of the federal election. 

CBC Research Sources:

CBC and CBC News Network: Numeris TV PPM, CBC Total (CBC Total Alt+CBC NN), April 28, 2025 vs. September 20, 2021, P2+ & A25-54 & A30-49, Mon 6:30pm-2:00am, Total Canada, AMA, Reach, Retention, generated by InfoSys+TV (UNCONFIRMED)

CBCNews.ca and CBC News App: Adobe Analytics, CBC Production,Apr 28, 2025 vs Sept 20, 2021, Segments: CBC.ca, Content - News OR News App. Metrics: Unique Visitors, Total Hours Spent, Content Starts

CBC Gem: Adobe Analytics, CBC Production, OTT Segment, Metrics  ‘content starts’ , ‘content time spent’, 4/28/25 - 4/29/25

CBC News YouTube:  YouTube analytics, CBC News channel, live stream: Liberals projected to win 4th term, but unclear if minority or majority | Canada Votes 2025, 11h55m in duration. Data reflects preliminary views (subject to change) on March 28/29, 2025. Comparison data: Canada Votes 2021: Election Night, CBC News channel, live stream views (confirmed), on September 20, 2021.*The 2021 live stream was just less than half the duration of the 2025 steam, running  6h43m.

CBC News TikTok: Tiktok LIVE Center video analysis analytics, CBC News profile. The “����Election night's big moments” live stream was published on Monday, April 28, 2025 at 8:02PM running 3h57m in length. The second stream, “Election Results and Analysis” was published on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 12:06AM running 2h24m in length.

CBC Radio: Numeris Radio Meter, March 9, 2025, Radio One, P2+, Su 5:30p-7:30P ET (manually calculated for all time zones), Total Canada, AMA, DlyRch, TotMins (converted to hours), generated by InstarRadio PPM (UNCONFIRMED)

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About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Tanya Koivusalo, CBC PR

tanya.koivusalo@cbc.ca 



 

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