Performance Envelope

The objective of the Performance Envelope Program is to encourage partnerships between broadcasters, television producers, and digital media producers to create convergent content that Canadian audiences can consume at any time and on the device of their choice. This program is part of the CMF’s Convergent Stream; so projects funded through this program must include content to be developed for distribution on at least two platforms, one of which must be television and the other, digital media. Through this program, the CMF allocates funding envelopes to English and French broadcasters in an amount that reflects their track record of supporting and airing Canadian programming. Broadcasters commit these funds to Canadian projects but the actual funding is paid directly to the producer. For further details, please consult the Performance Envelope Calculations appendix.

PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE COMMITMENTS

In 2017-2018, Performance Envelope funds were 98.8% committed to 450 projects, 39 less than in 2016-2017. A total of 36 broadcast ownership groups and independent broadcasters received envelope allocations, two less than last year. Allocations ranged from $54.8M to a minimum allocation of $50K. The performance envelope program’s funding to production budget ratio was 5.5 to 1, a 5-year high. $1.25B in production budgets had Performance Envelope Program support. A total of 95.4% or $216.5M of 2017-2018 performance envelope funds were directed toward television projects and 4.6% or $10.5M were utilized for digital media components. Funding to digital media out of the Performance Envelope program has fallen $2.1M from last year’s five-year high.

PERFORMANCE ENVELOPE BROADCASTERS' USE OF GENRE ALLOCATIONS

The final percent share of Performance Envelope funding by genre can vary from the Board-approved shares set at the outset of the year since 50% of Performance Envelope allocations to broadcasters are deemed Flex amounts that can be directed to any of the four CMF-supported genres. Broadcaster ownership groups and individual broadcasters with total allocations of under $5.0M (both languages combined) were granted 100% genre flexibility.

Genre shares at allocation were not adjusted from the allocations implemented in 2015-2016.

The charts above show significant positive shifts in genre shares from original allocation to final 2017-2018 commitments in the English Drama, Documentary and Variety & Performing Arts genres. Children’s & Youth (-7.8 percentage points from the original allocation) continues the decline that began in 2015-2016. French Drama and Variety & Performing Arts show an increase in share of commitments, especially Drama at +5.2 percentages points. French Documentary reports at 5.6 percentage points lower than the original allocation, a significant drop from previous years.