Canadian TV subscribers set to see American Super Bowl ads for first time
Many Canadians are wondering who will emerge victorious Sunday in Super Bowl LI. Not in the game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, but in the high-stakes battle between the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission and CTV.
By mandating that this year’s Fox Super Bowl feed not be substituted with a Canadian signal, the CRTC was hoping to score a touchdown with Canadian viewers who have been venting for years about being shut out of the showy, high-priced U.S. ads.
Canadian rights holder Bell Media, claiming it has been hit with a multimillion-dollar ad revenue loss, has thrown a flag in protest. There’s been legal challenges and political lobbying, with even the National Football League getting involved on both sides of the border.
If nothing changes by the time of the coin toss Sunday, Canadian viewers will finally get to see the American Super Bowl ads live on through their cable and satellite packages.