Paul McGrath, Senior Director of Entertainment Strategy and Audience Development at CBC, shares the broadcaster's compelling transition to digital media. He reveals how CBC embraced YouTube as a key platform, resulting in a 65% increase in total watch time. Paul discusses the successful launch of CBC Gem and the effective 'test and learn' strategy that mitigated fears of content cannibalization. He emphasizes the importance of long-form content in audience engagement and details their innovative 'flywheel strategy' to connect with younger viewers and boost monetization.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Test and Learn Strategy Advice
Use a test-and-learn approach when trying new distribution platforms like YouTube.
If negative effects like cannibalization occur, you can stop and adjust accordingly.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Cannibalization Fear Called "Loch Ness"
CBC faced internal fears about YouTube cannibalizing other revenue sources.
Paul McGrath calls this fear the "Loch Ness Monster" because it is often discussed but rarely seen in data.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Guardrails for New Platforms
Monitor cannibalization scientifically before assuming it occurs.
Set data-driven guardrails to test new platform strategies safely and effectively.
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In this episode of The Media Odyssey, Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet sit down with Paul McGrath, Senior Director of Entertainment Strategy and Audience Development at CBC, to explore how Canada’s public broadcaster is navigating the shift from linear to digital media. Paul shares the inside story of CBC’s strategic pivot toward YouTube as a major distribution and engagement platform. From launching CBC Gem to building out a portfolio of 50+ YouTube channels, McGrath explains how his team grew total watch time by 65%, with long-form content (20+ minutes) accounting for nearly half of total usage despite being only 20% of the uploads.
Key takeaways:
CBC’s test-and-learn approach to windowing content across platforms
Why fears of YouTube cannibalizing CBC Gem proved unfounded
The data-backed “flywheel strategy” that drives younger audience reach and monetization
CBC’s collaboration with YouTube and their evolving FAST and OTT revenue model
Interested in sponsorship? https://forms.gle/2LCWfX2HBNT8mtpx8
Connect with us on Linkedin: Evan Shapiro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/ Marion Ranchet - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionranchet/
Newsletters: Marion Ranchet - https://marionranchet.substack.com/ Evan Shapiro - https://eshap.substack.com/
(00:00) - Introduction and Myth Busting
(00:58) - Welcoming the Special Guest: Paul McGrath
(01:30) - Understanding CBC's Strategy and Operations
(03:01) - Funding Model and Streaming Focus
(03:59) - The YouTube Strategic Bet
(06:58) - Challenges and Concerns: Cannibalization
The Media Odyssey