YES TV

What YES TV does

YES TV is a Canadian commercial television broadcaster operating as a CRTC-licensed religious channel and a brand of Crossroads Television Systems Inc., an independently owned Canadian Not-For-Profit Corporation headquartered in Burlington, Ontario. The network reaches 6.8 million Canadian homes via three over-the-air conventional stations — CITS-DT in Hamilton serving the Greater Toronto Area (with re-broadcast transmitters in London and Ottawa), CKCS-DT in Calgary, and CKES-DT in Edmonton — supplemented by cable/satellite carriage and a proprietary free streaming app launched in October 2023 across iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, and major Smart TV platforms. Programming centers on syndicated American content (Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Judge Judy, Hot Bench, Blue Bloods, Bull, Madam Secretary, Rookie Blue, CSI) alongside original productions such as Legacy Makers and faith-based content, with content rights secured through long-term license agreements with CBS International Canada (Paramount) extending through the 2027/28 broadcast year.

Revenue is generated primarily through advertising — national airtime sold via Airtime Television Sales Inc., local direct sales, and dedicated ministry/block programming sales to faith-based organizations — with ancillary income from studio and facility rentals at the newly acquired Burlington headquarters. The go-to-market combines a sales-led direct advertiser motion, a free direct-to-consumer streaming channel, and cable/satellite distribution partnerships. The company employs 51-100 staff and is led by CEO Kevin Shepherd, with COO/CCO Melissa McEachern and General Manager/Director of Sales David Garby overseeing content and commercial operations, respectively. The 2024 acquisition of the Burlington facility from sister organization Crossroads Christian Communications provides both permanent operational control and a potential new revenue stream through external production and event rentals.

Name

YES TV

Legal name

Crossroads Television Systems Inc.

Website

https://yestv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

YES TV is a Canadian CRTC-licensed religious broadcaster reaching 6.8 million homes via three over-the-air stations and a free streaming app, delivering family-friendly syndicated and faith-based programming to viewers and selling advertising to national, local, and ministry clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Family Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Entertainment Cable Networks (MPABAFAA), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), Connected TV (CTV) & OTT Performance Advertising (BPAFACAG)

Keywords

• Religious television broadcasting
• Family entertainment programming
• Over-the-air broadcasting
• Live streaming platform
• Syndicated game shows

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Licensing, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: YES TV generates primary revenue through the sale of commercial airtime and digital advertising inventory. The broadcaster offers traditional television commercial spots alongside digital advertising opportunities including simul-stream and display inventory. Creative services teams provide integrated marketing solutions with secondary placements like Lower Thirds and Pushes.
2. Ministry and Block Programming Sales: Revenue generated from selling block programming time to faith-based organizations and ministries. The Director of Ministry Sales manages relationships with religious organizations seeking to broadcast their content on YES TV's licensed religious channel.
3. Studio and Facility Rentals: YES TV owns and operates a headquarters facility in Burlington, Ontario featuring three cutting-edge studios, meeting rooms, a 7,500 sq. ft. ballroom, 8,000 sq. ft. atrium, and over 50 offices. The facility is offered for external production rentals and event hosting, generating additional revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YES TV is a CRTC-licensed Canadian commercial television broadcaster delivering family-friendly and faith-based programming through three over-the-air conventional stations (CITS-DT Ontario, CKCS-DT Calgary, CKES-DT Edmonton) reaching 6.8 million Canadian homes. The broadcaster complements its linear broadcast with a proprietary free multi-platform streaming service (web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Smart TVs) offering live and Video-on-Demand access to its full programming schedule, including syndicated shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Judge Judy, Blue Bloods, and CSI, plus original productions like Legacy Makers. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising sales, ministry block programming sponsorships, creative services integrations, and contest platform sponsorships.

Product overview

YES TV is a Canadian commercial television broadcaster operating as a unified platform-plus-distribution model. The core offering consists of a free live streaming platform (YES TV App) available across Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Android TV), iOS/tvOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and web (watch.yestv.com), which streams the same programming as YES TV's three over-the-air broadcast stations (CITS-DT in Ontario/GTA, CKCS-DT in Calgary, CKES-DT in Edmonton), reaching 6.8 million homes. The product portfolio also includes Creative Services/Secondary Events (advertising placements like lower thirds and pushes) and a Contest Platform (integrated contest promotions). Programs include Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Hot Bench, Judge Judy, Blue Bloods, Flip Side, Bull, CSI, and original productions such as Legacy Makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YES TV Streaming Platform / YES TV App Free live and on-demand streaming platform accessible via native apps and watch.yestv.com for Canadian viewers seeking the full YES TV programming schedule across Smart TVs, mobile devices, and web browsers.
• YES TV Over-the-Air Broadcast (CITS-DT, CKCS-DT, CKES-DT) Three CRTC-licensed over-the-air conventional television stations broadcasting family-friendly and faith-based programming across Canada: CITS-DT (Hamilton, ON, serving the Greater Toronto Area with re-broadcast transmitters in London and Ottawa), CKCS-DT (Calgary, AB), and CKES-DT (Edmonton, AB), reaching 6.8 million homes.
• YES TV Creative Services / Secondary Event Placements Creative advertising services offered to sponsors featuring secondary placements throughout programs including lower thirds (10-second executions) and pushes (10-second executions with broad creative options), enabling brand integration within YES TV's programming.
• YES TV Contest Promotion Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Available in 6.8 million Canadian homes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TCF4 ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024TCF4 Productions is a Canadian-based production company located in Okotoks, Alberta, founded by husband-and-wife team Bill and Jacqueline Clements in 2012. YES TV and TCF4 co-produce the show Legacy Makers, featuring stories of impactful Canadians. The partnership includes joint production, content development, and co-marketing of the show.
• Airtime Television Sales Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational sales representation for YES TV. Mark Burko (Executive Vice President) and John Aonso (Executive Vice President) manage national advertiser relationships on behalf of YES TV from their Toronto office.
• Crossroads Television Systems Inc.coreOthersYES TV is a brand of Crossroads Television Systems Inc., an independently owned Canadian incorporated Not-For-Profit Corporation. Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. is a sister organization. YES TV acquired the original headquarters building from Crossroads in 2024.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Grace TV: Canadian Christian television network offering family and faith programming across Canada with similar distribution and ad-supported business model. Directly comparable niche broadcaster in the Canadian faith TV category.
• Salt + Light Television: Canadian Catholic faith-based television broadcaster operating under similar CRTC religious-channel-style distribution and ad-supported model, providing positive/family programming. Directly comparable niche and Canadian market focus.
• Miracle Channel: Canadian Christian television broadcaster distributing family-friendly and faith-based programming via cable/satellite and streaming. Closest direct peer in terms of CRTC religious-channel positioning, revenue model, and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Daystar Television Network: U.S.-based Christian broadcast network with international distribution and multi-platform streaming. Comparable family/faith content strategy and broadcaster-led streaming app approach.
• Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN): Largest U.S. faith-based broadcast network with multi-platform distribution (OTA, cable, TBN app). Comparable faith-and-family programming strategy and CRTC-equivalent regulatory positioning, though operating at significantly larger U.S. scale.
• EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network): Global Catholic broadcaster with multi-platform distribution including streaming apps and ad-free cable reach. Comparable faith-based content positioning and not-for-profit broadcasting model.
• Global Television Network: Corus Entertainment-owned Canadian commercial television network with national reach and ad-supported model. Comparable in broadcast distribution footprint and advertiser relationships but operates at much larger mainstream scale.
• Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN): U.S. faith-based broadcaster with multi-platform distribution (CBN NewsChannel, streaming). Comparable family/faith programming strategy and ad-supported broadcast model at much larger U.S. scale.
• CTV Television Network: Bell Media-owned flagship Canadian commercial broadcast network with national OTA, cable, and streaming (CTV app) distribution. Broader incumbent operating in the same broadcasting space with overlapping advertising inventory and ad-sales relationships.

Emerging players

• YTV: Corus Entertainment-owned Canadian specialty channel focused on family and youth programming with significant streaming presence. Comparable in targeting family audiences and operating a CTV/OTT streaming app, though broader entertainment focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/95327359787
• Xx.com/yestvcanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YES TV