The times of pandemic gave the world a shift of perspective, be it in entertainment or working. It was surprising to see the world jump to the lifestyle of work-from-home. In the rise of the pandemic, many industries became in-demand, one of which was the streaming service industry.
With the cinemas and new productions on hold, the Video-On-Demand grew massively. Like many other countries, Canada has seen an influx in use of streaming services during the time of pandemic, especially due to the increase in working from home employee. The people working from home could so easily have work open in one tab and Netflix open in the other.
Not only that but many also got educated on the use of VPNs specially to access their favorite content on the streaming platform which were not available in their region. For example, a person in Canada, with the help of a VPN can bypass geo-restriction to access Netflix USA from Canada and enjoy the movies or shows which are exclusively available on US Netflix only.
The pandemic may be coming to an end, but the work-from-home policy has turned into a permanent change in the new world. Companies see their productivity levels rise higher and they save money on office spaces. Similarly, many Canadians have permanently cut their cable tv cords and shifted to subscription based streaming services. In this article, we will discuss some of the reasons for the growth of streaming services in Canada, especially amongst Work from home employees.
1. The change by Youth
When we say youth, we mean millennials and Gen X in Canada. The same youth who’d complain during an online meeting about mic and camera problems are the ones availing the best of streaming services. The population that adapted to working from home quickly and they were able to replace the choices of entertainment quite fast. Netflix capitalized on this and produced many originals that kept the millennials glued to the screens. The streaming services kept releasing new content, unlimited access, and many more incentives that got the attention of the commons. Netflix just had to get the youth and slowly watch their viewership soar higher and higher.
2. The privacy
Ever been in a situation where you’re watching TV and someone comes and sits next to you, and you must change channels because it is not “family-friendly”? You’re not alone. There’s no way you can be alone watching favorite stuff especially when the work-from-home culture got everybody home. With streaming services, you have the option to stream on your devices like smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, etc.
If you’re in a boring meeting on your VPN-secured company laptop, who’s stopping you from opening Netflix on your phone? (Probably ethics but you get the point).
3. The Affordability
For all budget-conscious people, this was something to be grateful for during the pandemic. The streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, etc. rarely raised their prices. Based on the channels, quality, and service they offered, it was a worthy buy.
That is also the reason it resonated well with the Work-From-Home employees. There was the mental stress of being surrounded by a pandemic with uncertainty and job losses. It was nice to let loose with an affordable streaming service whenever possible.
4. The Choice
By the choice, we mean that streaming service gave us room to make choices before we subscribed for the full month. Netflix offered its users a 7-day trial just for the person to get a taste of the streaming service. The same incentives were offered by Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, etc. This gave the users time to see the channels, programs, and interface before they paid in full. If the person was not convinced, the service promises a full refund within a certain time.
5. The VPN way
For all work-from-home employees, especially on the IT side, you know your office laptops have VPNs. They are set to give your work and dealings a more private channel. So now that you know what a VPN does, what’s stopping you from going beyond borders?
There was a wider use of VPNs during the pandemic as it helped remove regional limitations. Because of this, the users got access to region-bound streaming services and shows. For example, The Office is available to stream on Netflix USA and if it is not in your subscription, you can use VPN in Canada to get a USA IP address and start streaming your favorite channels. This can be done for all your favorite shows and series.
It is always wise to use a paid and reliable VPN service on your devices because the last thing you need in this endeavor is dangerous malware and viruses (Proceed with caution).
Conclusion
The work-from-home culture has given us a perspective of work we thought only existed for freelancers. Even after the pandemic, many companies in Canada or worldwide have endorsed great results from it. The more people are staying at home and working remotely, the more they need some entertainment to keep them sane and away from boredom so the streaming services are playing a major role in that. If that is the case, you can see why streaming services were in demand and will continue to grow for years.
