CBC CEO admits 'millions of subscribers' claim includes free accounts, refuses to reveal real numbers
When pressed on whether she was “embarrassed about the numbers at CBC Gem,” Bouchard said no but still refused to disclose them.
CBC’s $562,000-a-year boss, Marie-Philippe Bouchard, acknowledged on Monday that the public broadcaster’s boast about “millions of subscribers” to its Gem streaming service includes anyone who ever signed up for a free account, not just paying customers.
Bouchard made the admission while testifying before the House of Commons Heritage committee, where she repeatedly dodged questions about how much the CBC has spent on the six-year-old streaming platform or how much revenue it brings in.
“There’s lots of transparency around how CBC receives and manages public funds,” she insisted, “more transparency than most.”
Conservative MP Kevin Waugh (Saskatoon South) wasn’t buying it. “I don’t know what you’re hiding,”...“You’re a public broadcaster. You’re getting funds from the public.”
UNREAL: See the full exchange between @KevinWaugh_CPC and the CBC president on her failure to disclose real CBC GEM subscriber numbers. She claims transparency while fighting in court to keep those numbers secret. pic.twitter.com/3HEo7X0jUf
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 21, 2025
When pressed on whether she was “embarrassed about the numbers at CBC Gem,” Bouchard said no but still refused to disclose them. She told MPs there were 5.3 million Gem accounts, then admitted those were not necessarily paying subscribers. The real number of paid users, she said, was “confidential for competitive reasons.”
$562,000/yr CEO @CBC admits network counted millions of free, giveaway, one-time accounts in claiming huge @CBCGem audience: "How much money have you put into Gem?" https://t.co/AcQcec9vux @KevinWaugh_cpc pic.twitter.com/Ayr4MAJ7k8
— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) October 21, 2025
Waugh pointed out that the CBC’s lawyers are currently in Federal Court, fighting an order from the Information Commissioner to release the subscription figures under the Access to Information Act. CBC’s legal team wants the court to quash that ruling, claiming disclosure would breach “commercial confidentiality.”
CPC's @KerryDiotte asks the CBC president to explain why her own surveys indicate that Albertans and Saskies don't trust the CBC. She can't. pic.twitter.com/blBkfHmISx
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 21, 2025
In 2024, then-CEO Catherine Tait claimed CBC Gem had “around two million subscribers,” boasting that the streaming service was rivaling the broadcaster’s shrinking television audience.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.
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COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2025-10-21 19:26:47 -0400CBC = Cock and Bull Corporation. Even if free accounts are factored in, I doubt the total wouldn’t break 3000.
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Crude Sausage commented 2025-10-21 15:16:22 -0400As far as I know, most of what CBC Gem offers is free. So, it shouldn’t matter whether the account is free or not. Millions of subscribers still means millions of users. The only paid option is to get CBC Newsworld, a service I wouldn’t accept if they paid me to have it. In fact, when I still had cable, I kept the channel blocked because I couldn’t even believe their weather reports. Either way, CBC Gem is a fine product if you like less popular sports like volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball or the Olympic athletics.
