Super Bowl ads: Canadian MPs say CRTC made a bad call, needs to reverse it
WASHINGTON — Two federal MPs are throwing a challenge flag over Canada’s new all-American policy on Super Bowl ads, hoping the country’s broadcast regulator will rethink a decision they say could cost tens of millions of dollars.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is forcing the National Football League to run an unfiltered broadcast of its championship game so that Canadians can see the big-budget, star-packed ads some grumble about missing each year.
But that’s caused alarm from numerous parties: the NFL, which sold the Canadian rights to the game; U.S. federal commerce officials; CTV, which paid for the Canadian rights and recoups costs by selling domestic ads; and Canadian advertisers, who say the snap decision is costing them money on their biggest day of the year.
Two Liberal MPs, both committee chairs, are asking the CRTC to quickly reverse course.