This is one of those stories that is very hard to tell. Because of all the complexity and twists and turns, it may be best told in flashback like one of those movies that starts off in the near-present moment, when the main character is about to do something climactic and you then wonder how she/he got into the on-screen predicament you are witnessing in the first place. And then suddenly the screen fades to a new scene that says something like “15 years earlier…” And you don’t get back to where you were at the beginning of the movie until right near the end where you (mostly) find out how it all turns out*…
So let’s follow that structure.
{Click on the the screen-grabs to get to the source material.}
Opening Scene (Just two months ago)
Fadeout…”41 Years Earlier…”
CRTC policy of Simultaneous Substitution of U.S. television signals by equivalent Canadian signals upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada…
The Simultaneous Substitution Regulations can be found below. The actual mechanics are in S. 3.(1) & 4.(1)…
Some useful historical context here…
Bell and the CRTC already had a “complicated” relationship…
See the story below about Bell’s firing of one of it’s executives for trying to interfere with CTV newsroom coverage of a CRTC decision…
…and the CRTC’s rather pointed criticism of Bell shortly before…
And then the plot thickened…
The CRTC’s (17 page) decision removing authorization for simultaneous substitution in respect of the Super Bowl under can be found below…What is perhaps most critical is that the CRTC clearly felt they were responding to and being responsive to the Canadian public.
Some thought this was exactly the right approach…
However Bell, the owners of CTV & TSN who held the Canadian rights to the broadcast of the Super Bowl (because they paid for them), were not happy. So they tried (unsuccessfully) to do something about it….
Decision here…
And the CRTC told Canadians how to watch the Super Bowl…
And a last desperate (and also unsuccessful) attempt for a stay of proceedings by Bell…
And a dire warning…
Then came the (first) real climactic moment…
No…not the game (that was good too). But what were Canadians going to do Watch the U.S. feed with U.S. Super Bowl commercials or CTV with…well…”other” commercials…
Post-mortems inferring what choices Canadians made while watching the Super Bowl last year can be found here…
And Bell marched on…
And then the colossal twist…(or so it seems)…
And now go back to the top story at the beginning of the tale…
Any more twists and turns to come (other than a pending SCC appeal) before the Los Angeles Rams beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019?
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This rather odd issue is useful in identifying and focussing us on some of the orthodoxies and traditional tensions in our national broadcasting and communications – particularly questions of culture, profit, and censorship. The question itself may be most useful as a kind of Rorschach test on which we can all project our pre-existing perceptions and biases.
So, U.S. Super Bowl Commercials on Canadian TV – Yes, No or Who Cares?
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.More in class tomorrow…
Jon
*For those of you perceptive souls wondering “what movie did he watch this weekend with that structure?” the answer is “Love Rosie”
Not to add fuel to your fire, but CTV/TSN’s NFL ratings are up 19% over last season. I’m not saying that all the fuss around Super Bowl commercials last year solidified where fans can find the NFL this year to CTV/TSN’s advantage to account for all of that 19%. That said, U.S. NFL ratings though up (5%), are not even close to the percentage increase in Canada.
https://torontosun.com/sports/football/nfl/nfl-tv-viewership-in-canada-up-19-over-last-year
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25403546/nfl-television-ratings-5-percent-2018-season
Jon
I was thinking about this issue while watching the championship games today and, although biased being a viewer, I feel that the we should have the option of watching the American ads if we choose to. Ultimately the league and the broadcasting of the games are both meant for consumer entertainment, and as such should allow for the end user to experience it as he or she pleases. The CRTC has stated that the Superbowl is a unique event and sim subbing should be allowed as it is inherently different from other large live events. Advertisement has been engrained into the Superbowl experience and is a large part of the reason so many non-football fans tune into the big day. Bell, and other Canadian media lobbyists, argue that Sim subbing has negative effects such as the potential to miss live action, however this is a a factor that consumers will take into consideration when weighing their options to view.
If the CRTC does not follow USMCA guidelines, the question is to what lengths will Canadian broadcasters go to entice viewers into tuning into the Canadian broadcast rather than their American counterparts. Sub simming is a $250 million a year business, a major reason that Bell has challenged the ruling so vehemently. Bell and CTV introduced a watch to win contest that offered viewers a chance to win $300, 000 in a manner that was meant to ensure viewers watch the entirety of the Canadian broadcast.
Although Bell would prefer to have more viewers watching their feed of the game, I feel consumers should have the ability to watch the American commercials as it adds to the allure and the overall Superbowl experience. This will surely be a factor that will be taken into consideration when the rights to broadcast the Superbowl are up for bid or renegotiated.