thinkTV
thinkTV is a Toronto-based Canadian marketing and research association, founded in 1961, that operates on behalf of Canadian broadcasters to advance commercial television advertising through proprietary research, industry events, and ad clearance services for agencies and advertisers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What thinkTV does
thinkTV (legal entity Thinktv Inc.) is a Toronto-based private marketing and research association founded in 1961 that operates on behalf of Canadian broadcasters to advance commercial television advertising. It functions as an industry collective funded and governed by major Canadian broadcasters — including Bell Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, Rogers Sports & Media, Corus Entertainment, Blue Ant Media, and Channel Zero Inc. — with no traditional commercial pricing model and no disclosed revenue. Its operating model is association-based: thinkTV does not charge for its research, presentations, or educational content, and runs as an advocacy and research body rather than a product company.
The core product surface is organized around four offerings: an extensive Research Library covering advertising effectiveness, creative, ROI, media usage, reach, attention, and Quebec-market studies; the thinktv presents webinar and on-demand presentation series featuring academics and practitioners such as Mark Ritson, Peter Field, and Karen Nelson-Field; the annual Media, Marketing & Effectiveness conference and regional events; and the thinktv clearance service, which reviews and approves commercials, infomercials, and public service announcements on behalf of Canadian broadcasters. Proprietary data inputs flow from partnerships with Numeris (Video Audience Measurement), Environics Analytics (Outcomes Video Measurement study combining Bell set-top-box, retail, and mobile movement data), and Ipsos Canada, supporting reports such as the Power of TV, Total TV & Streaming Viewership, Profit Ability 2, New to TV Advertisers, Spotlight on Quebec, Prime Time, and Value of TV News. The organization has a small core team of approximately four people led by Catherine MacLeod (President and CEO since April 2015, previously SVP of Specialty Channels at Bell Media), with Laura Baehr (VP Marketing, ex-Corus), Dawson Swain (Head of Insights), and Rhonda Bagnall (Senior Director of Clearance).
Go-to-market is event- and content-driven rather than sales-driven: distribution runs through the thinktv.ca website, the research library, newsletters, the annual MME event, webinars, the thinktv presents bespoke presentation service, and a LinkedIn presence. Customer segments are agencies and brand marketers who consume the research, broadcasters who fund and govern the body, and international counterparts such as Thinkbox (UK), Video Advertising Bureau (US), and the Global TV Group with which thinkTV collaborates on research and advocacy.
thinkTV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- thinkTV
- Legal name
- Thinktv Inc.
- Website
- https://thinktv.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- thinkTV is a Toronto-based Canadian marketing and research association, founded in 1961, that operates on behalf of Canadian broadcasters to advance commercial television advertising through proprietary research, industry events, and ad clearance services for agencies and advertisers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
thinkTV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advertising Industry Research Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audience Measurement & Media Research (Ratings, Attribution, Media Mix Insights) (MPAAALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- National TV & Cross-Platform Audience Measurement Panels (MPABAOAA), Content & Program Performance Analytics (Minute-Level, Flow, Engagement) (MPABAOAI), Connected TV (CTV) & OTT Performance Advertising (BPAFACAG)
Keywords
Where thinkTV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
thinkTV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Industry Association Funding: thinktv operates as a marketing and research association funded by Canadian broadcasters. The organization does not charge for its research, presentations, or educational content. Revenue is derived from membership/support from broadcaster organizations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
thinkTV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
thinktv is a Canadian marketing and research association that advances commercial television on behalf of Canadian broadcasters. It produces proprietary research reports on TV advertising effectiveness, hosts industry events and expert presentations, and operates a clearance service that approves commercials, infomercials, and public service announcements for Canadian broadcasters. The organization also provides training and education resources for advertisers and agencies.
Product overview
thinkTV is a Canadian marketing and research association dedicated to the advancement of commercial television, operating on behalf of Canadian broadcasters. The organization offers a unified portfolio of research services, industry events, and advertising clearance. The core offerings include: an extensive Research Library with over 68 advertising effectiveness reports and expert presentations; the thinktv presents webinar series featuring industry experts; an annual Media, Marketing & Effectiveness conference; the thinktv clearance ad approval service for Canadian broadcasters; and a newsletter delivering TV advertising news. Key research products include the Power of TV report, Total TV & Streaming Viewership report, Outcomes Video Measurement, Quebec market research, and Fast Facts on various TV advertising topics. The organization is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research Library Filterable library of research reports and presentations covering TV advertising effectiveness, audience trends, creative impact, and marketing ROI for advertisers and agencies.
- thinktv presents On-demand collection of industry expert presentations and webinars on TV advertising effectiveness, including bespoke presentations delivered directly to organizations.
- thinktv clearance Ad clearance service that works on behalf of Canadian broadcasters to approve commercials, infomercials, and public service announcements, and to guide advertisers and agencies on creative compliance with industry guidelines.
- Training & Education Educational program featuring curated TV advertising research from Canada and internationally, with presentations available for booking by organizations.
- Media, Marketing & Effectiveness Event Annual industry conference featuring leading marketing experts presenting on advertising effectiveness, creative drivers, media quality, and brand building in a fragmented media landscape.
- Newsletter Email newsletter delivering updates on the latest TV advertising research, event recordings, and industry insights.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of TV campaigns deliver significant incremental sales lift (Environics Analytics study)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use thinkTV
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
thinkTV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
thinkTV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA)coreproud collaborator on industry initiatives and events
- Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA)coreCollaborates with ICA on industry initiatives and education
- NumeriscoreData partner providing Video Audience Measurement (VAM) cross-platform measurement data for TV and streaming viewership research
- NLogiccoreTechnology partner for ad measurement and planning tools; collaborates on video measurement and planning solutions
- Ad Standards Canada (ASC)minorIndustry partner for advertising standards and clearance coordination
- Thinkbox (UK)coreInternational partner and marketing body for commercial TV in the UK; shares research and best practices; Thinkbox's Profit Ability econometric research presented at thinktv events
- Video Advertising Bureau (US)minorInternational partner providing US TV advertising research and benchmarks
- Global TV GroupminorInternational partnership with global TV marketing organizations for shared research and industry advocacy
- Environics AnalyticscoreResearch partner that conducted Outcomes Video Measurement study analyzing TV campaign performance, sales lift, and foot traffic using Bell set-top-box data, retail sales data, and mobile movement data
- Ipsos CanadacoreResearch partner that conducted Ad Nation study on media habits and advertising perceptions of Canadians vs. industry professionals
- PHDminorMedia agency whose Chief Strategy Officer Matt Devlin presents at thinktv events on Canadian media landscape
- HotspexminorInsights and analytics company whose CEO Shane Skillen presents on brand building in the age of AI at thinktv events
- Mark RitsoncoreGlobally recognized marketing expert who serves as key presenter at annual Media, Marketing & Effectiveness events; founder of MiniMBA in Marketing
- Peter FieldcoreEffectiveness expert who presents research on creative effectiveness and cost of dull media at thinktv events
- Dr. Karen Nelson-FieldcoreAttention expert and founder of Amplified who presents research on attention economics and media effectiveness at thinktv events
- Erez Levin (Emet Advisory)minorMedia futurist and ad quality advocate who presents on media quality signals and quality-based buying at thinktv events
- MiniMBAminorMarketing education sponsor of Media, Marketing & Effectiveness 2026 event
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
thinkTV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Thinkbox: UK marketing body for commercial TV that produces effectiveness research (including Profit Ability econometric studies referenced by thinkTV), hosts industry events, and advocates for TV advertising. Direct international counterpart in a different geography.
- Video Advertising Bureau: US trade group that conducts research on TV/video advertising effectiveness and provides benchmarks for advertisers and agencies. Named partner of thinkTV and operates the same category-defining advocacy model in the US market.
- Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB): Long-standing US industry organization representing broadcast television stations, providing research, advocacy, and marketing services to promote local broadcast TV advertising—closely comparable trade-body model to thinkTV.
- Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA): Global alliance of television sales houses and marketing bodies; thinkTV participates through the Global TV Group partnership, and SAWA provides cross-country coordination on TV advertising research and best practices.
Others
- Numeris: Canada's primary audience measurement provider (VAM cross-platform panel) and core data partner of thinkTV. Adjacent rather than competing—thinkTV uses Numeris data to produce effectiveness research while Numeris produces raw ratings.
- Environics Analytics: Canadian research and analytics firm that produced the Outcomes Video Measurement study for thinkTV. Adjacent research services provider that could independently serve advertisers seeking TV effectiveness data.
- Ipsos Canada: Global market research firm that conducted the Ad Nation study for thinkTV on Canadian media habits. Larger incumbent that could develop competing TV advertising research without thinkTV as an intermediary.
- Ad Standards Canada: Canadian advertising self-regulatory body that oversees creative clearance and advertising standards—adjacent to thinkTV's clearance service but with broader scope across all media, not just TV.
- Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA): Trade association representing major Canadian advertisers; named partner of thinkTV on industry initiatives. Represents the buy-side of advertising rather than the sell-side that thinkTV serves.
- Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA): Canadian association of advertising and communication agencies that collaborates with thinkTV on industry education. Represents agencies (key audience of thinkTV's research) rather than competing with it directly.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
thinkTV social profiles
Digital presencethinkTV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
thinkTV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
thinkTV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
thinkTV M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about thinkTV
What does thinkTV do?
thinktv is a Canadian marketing and research association that advances commercial television on behalf of Canadian broadcasters. It produces proprietary research reports on TV advertising effectiveness, hosts industry events and expert presentations, and operates a clearance service that approves commercials, infomercials, and public service announcements for Canadian broadcasters. The organization also provides training and education resources for advertisers and agencies.
Is thinkTV a public or private company?
thinkTV is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was thinkTV founded?
thinkTV was founded in 1961. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is thinkTV based?
thinkTV is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does thinkTV make money?
One revenue line is on record: industry Association Funding.
Who are thinkTV's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Thinkbox, Video Advertising Bureau, Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) and Screen Advertising World Association (SAWA). Others are Numeris, Environics Analytics, Ipsos Canada, Ad Standards Canada, Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA).
Does thinkTV have an API?
No public API is recorded for thinkTV.
What industry is thinkTV in?
thinkTV's product category is Advertising Industry Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAALAM, Audience Measurement & Media Research (Ratings, Attribution, Media Mix Insights), with a secondary code of MPABAOAA, National TV & Cross-Platform Audience Measurement Panels. Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 7310.