WPP Canada | Papers

This WPP Canada Paper analyzes the strategic implications of Rogers Communications acquiring 100% sole ownership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) for $4.35 billion CAD in late 2026. This historic transaction consolidates Toronto’s major sports franchises under a single corporate giant, creating an unprecedented monopoly on the region’s sports and entertainment market. To leverage this asset, Rogers is expected to streamline cross-functional operations and integrate MLSE’s massive fan databases directly with its core telecom business to drive subscriber loyalty. Meanwhile, the broadcast landscape faces structural shifts as Rogers navigates cord-cutting pressures through sublicensing deals with digital streaming giants, while seller Larry Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Ventures pivots to high-growth, underserved global and women’s sports assets.

This WPP Media Cannes Post-Event report outlines how the most successful brands design their marketing around the integrated systems that shape consumer discovery, trust, and choice. It identifies three critical industry shifts: actively joining existing consumer journeys rather than interrupting them, influencing both human communities and machine algorithms, and building enduring, consistent brand platforms that compound value over time. Supported by award-winning case studies from brands like Corona, Heinz, Dove, and LUX, the report concludes with three strategic questions to guide future campaign planning.

WPP Media’s Q2 2026 Quarterly TV Viewing Report explores the evolving Canadian media landscape, highlighted by streaming reach hitting a record peak of ~92% in February 2026 and driving its overall viewing share to a four-year high of 38%. While Linear TV maintains its commanding lead at 62% of total usage, the streaming landscape is tightening as YouTube (34% share) and a fast-climbing Amazon Prime (31% share) lead the market. The report also delivers key insights into a major demographic split, detailing the exceptionally stable linear viewing habits of Canadians aged 55+ alongside the highly seasonal, event-driven consumption patterns of younger viewers.

The Modern State of Gaming: Content, Creators, and Community. Gaming has cemented its status as a dominant force in global entertainment, rivaling traditional media in both scale and influence. Today, 51% of Canadian gamers identify as women, and 52% name mobile as their primary device, shattering outdated stereotypes. As the landscape shifts away from traditional esports toward personality-driven, creator-led content, the highest-upside opportunities for marketers exist in native activations on massive platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, and Twitch. Discover the key trends, audience personas, and best practices driving modern brand relevance.

The Growing Complexity Behind the Back-to-School Season. This national study reveals that Canadian parents are shifting from simple back-to-school preparation to active "educational management," navigating compounding financial, logistical, and systemic pressures. For brands, success in this high-pressure landscape requires offering simplicity and predictability to help parents reduce friction and make confident, low-risk purchasing decisions.

Market Consolidation and the Evolving Identity Landscape. As tightening Canadian privacy regulations and major industry moves like Publicis’s acquisition of LiveRamp reshape the market, this guide breaks down the critical implications of identity centralization for advertisers. It addresses key risks like vendor lock-in while highlighting decentralized alternatives, such as InfoSum's Data Clean Rooms, which allow brands to securely match audiences without exposing raw first-party data.

This WPP report explores the historic launch and commercial ecosystem of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA's first Canadian franchise. It dissects how the team's rapid market growth, visionary ownership group, and community-first brand identity present a powerful, modern business opportunity. Highlighting record-breaking broadcast viewership, highly engaged youth and BIPOC fan demographics, and meaningful brand activations from partners like Sephora and CIBC, the report demonstrates how women’s professional sports have evolved from a trend into a major commercial category. Ultimately, it provides marketers with a strategic roadmap for authentic, purpose-driven audience engagement in the rapidly expanding sports landscape.

Exploring the dynamic interplay between AI and the modern consumer, this WPP Media event report dissects the pivotal discussions and insights from the Shoptalk conference. It highlights the fundamental shift in consumer behavior, where journeys are fragmented and discovery increasingly replaces traditional search. The report discusses AI's pervasive role in enhancing, rather than fully automating, commerce, and emphasizes the growing importance of human connection, emotional resonance, and brand participation in a self-directed consumer landscape. Ultimately, it offers marketers strategies for navigating this complex, AI-powered world.

Explores the deeply nuanced emotional, cultural, and practical journeys of recent immigrants as they build lives in Canada. Utilizing extensive research, the study uncovers an "invisible struggle" faced by newcomers, highlighting systemic hurdles such as the "accent loophole" of linguistic discrimination, the friction of complex bureaucratic and credit systems, and the pitfalls of superficial, checkbox-style brand diversity. It reveals a critical "Canadian Media Gap," noting that while newcomers are highly motivated to integrate and want to "buy Canadian," mainstream local media and brands are losing their attention to global digital platforms. Ultimately, the report provides a strategic, actionable blueprint for marketers, public institutions, and media owners to move past tokenism and foster genuine, long-term belonging through culturally intelligent, empathetic, and highly tailored communications.

In a dynamic digital advertising ecosystem, this WPP Media report directly confronts the complexities of DSP pricing and transparency, specifically addressing recent concerns surrounding fees at The Trade Desk. It unveils WPP Media's comprehensive, client-centric approach, emphasizing an unwavering commitment to clarity through exclusive platform controls, rigorous partner vetting, and a strategic partnership with TTD. By demystifying intricate compounding fee structures and introducing concepts like the "DSP Exit Fee," the report empowers clients with unparalleled confidence, control, and optimal value in their programmatic media buying.

This WPP Media report analyzes the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) by Paramount, detailing the accepted bid, regulatory challenges, and strategic implications for the media landscape. It highlights how the combined entity could become a dominant player in advertising, streaming, and sports programming. The report also provides a crucial Canadian perspective, examining the deal's potential impact on existing content distribution partnerships and the necessary regulatory approvals within Canada.

SUPER BOWL LX CANADIAN VIEWERSHIP & INSIGHTS REPORT An in-depth analysis of the 2026 Super Bowl's impact in Canada. It details viewership figures, demographic shifts (noting a decline in younger audiences), and the performance of top advertisers. The report further explores the dynamics of halftime engagement, the power of social media buzz, and key advertising trends, including a CEO's top picks for successful campaigns. Ultimately, it offers strategic insights for brands looking to leverage such high-stakes events effectively.

This report details the significant impact and audience benchmarks set by the 2026 Winter Olympics in Canada. It highlights a remarkable post-pandemic rebound in viewership, demonstrating the Games' cross-generational appeal and unique ability to foster a social dialogue around national pride and equity. Additionally, the analysis examines how brands effectively leveraged this platform through strategic engagement—even without direct sponsorship—while emphasizing the unmatched power of human-centric storytelling to build long-term brand health.