New Study Highlights Advertising and Media’s $21B Contribution to Canada’s Economy

^{Image credit: CMMB}

A new landmark study, Canadian Media Means Business (CMMB), has quantified the advertising sector’s economic impact and the results tell a powerful story of resilience, growth, and opportunity.

Developed by Nordicity and commissioned by a consortium of Canadian media associations and companies, the study reveals that the advertising and media sector supports almost 170,000 jobs and contributes over $21 billion to Canada’s GDP.

The report also highlights the value of advertising investment at a micro level: every $1 million invested in Canadian advertising generates 8.2 jobs, $630,000 in salaries, and adds $1 million to the GDP.

According to the findings, advertising directly contributed $9.7 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023 while supporting 75,840 direct FTE jobs. The report underscores that Canadian media functions not only as a cultural cornerstone but also as a strategic economic asset which fuels business growth, sustains a diverse range of industries and jobs, and supports charitable fundraising efforts.

Despite this positive economic footprint, the study also highlights key challenges facing the sector. Looking back on the years between 2017 and 2022, the report points out losses of an estimated $7.5 billion in advertising revenue to foreign digital platforms. In addition to this, in 2025, an estimated 92% of digital ad dollars flow to non-Canadian platforms. This shift, the report warns, places the sustainability of Canadian media in jeopardy.

These findings provide new evidence of the scale and importance of Canadian advertising, reframing it as an investment with tangible economic returns. The report positions Canadian media as a sector worth protecting for both its cultural role and its measurable contribution to national prosperity.

To further extend its impact, CMMB has partnered with NABS Canada to support fundraising efforts through branded merchandise featuring the CMMB logo, available at nabsmerch.ca.