More Canadians cutting the TV cord

TORONTO — Another new poll suggests so-called cord cutting may be growing in Canada.

Nearly a quarter of the respondents in an online survey conducted by Ipsos Reid in recent weeks said they did not have a traditional TV subscription.

The increasingly compelling selection of streamable content available online and access to free over-the-air TV signals have convinced some consumers to cut the cord, or go without paying for television.

But Ipsos Reid noted that an even bigger trend is so-called cord stacking, when TV subscribers decide to pay for à la carte digital services to complement their TV package.

Among the three-quarters of Canadians who told pollsters they do pay for TV through a cable, satellite or IPTV provider, nearly half also paid for video content through another source.

Apple’s iTunes marketplace, Netflix and sports subscription services, including NHL GameCenter and MLB. TV, are among the most popular of the sources, sometimes called over-the-top content providers.

About one in five of the TV subscribers polled said that they pay for two or more OTT services on top of their TV bill.

The poll of 1,000 Canadians was conducted between Jan. 30 and Feb. 4.

A telephone poll released by the Media Technology Monitor last month found that one in seven Canadians said they were either somewhat or very likely to quit their TV service and opt for free or cheaper alternatives.