Entertainment Tonight Canada announces its end due to challenging ad environment

The team at ET Canada, the nation's go-to source for celebrity news, has just made the shocking announcement that the show is abruptly coming to an end after nearly 20 seasons, citing a "challenging ad environment" for the devastating move.

Corus Entertainment shared a short statement with viewers late Wednesday morning, which thanked staff for their work on the show.

"After more than 18 incredible seasons, we are ending the production of Entertainment Tonight Canada. The costs of producing a daily entertainment news magazine show in a challenging advertising environment have led to this decision," it reads.

"We recognize the impact this decision has on the dedicated team who have worked on the show and we thank them for their meaningful contributions over the years."

I can't believe it!!!! This is a bad decision but I can understand why they think they need to

— Tara G (@sugarnspice98_9) September 27, 2023

Fans are floored, calling it the end of an era and mourning the loss of the "iconic piece of Canadian media" in a shrinking landscape.

"This is not right. We need more Cancon. So many great people out of work," one person wrote on Twitter in response to the update in what appears to be a common sentiment.

On the lifestyle/entertainment front I suspect our entire market is finally being devoured by US content, especially the of the vertical kind on YouTube & TikTok

— Sophie Nadeau (@sophienadeau) September 27, 2023

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) rules dictate that at least 55 per cent of all programming from broadcast television stations each year must be Canadian, as well as at least 50 per cent of content aired during prime time, from 6 p.m. to midnight.

In 2015, daytime requirements for Cancon were lowered from the same 55 per cent to zero.