1+1 International lands in Canada

Ukrainian international channel 1+1 International has secured a licence to broadcast in Canada and is expected to launch on pay TV networks soon.

1+1 estimates there are about 130,000 Ukrainian speakers in Canada, out of a Ukrainian-origin population that is considerably larger. The service also remains available in the country on IPTV network.

“One of the channel’s strategic goals for this year was receiving a licence in Canada. There is a great potential for 1+1 International in the Canadian market. It is known that Canada is a home to a large Ukrainian diaspora. About 4% of Canada’s population are Ukrainians,” said Vladyslav Svinchenko, the general producer of 1+1 International.

Svinchenko said the number of Ukrainian speakers in Canada, although smaller, compared favourably with the number of Russian speakers in the US. He said Canadian distribution would benefit the channel commercially and that 1+1 would also appeal to the Russian-speaking audience in the country.