The Super Bowl is the main event for the NFL season, but the commercials that air during the broadcast are a spectacle all on their own.
This Sunday, however, could be the last time Canadians will be able to watch the U.S. Super Bowl ads, because of Canada’s new trade deal with the United States.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) says for the 2019 Super Bowl broadcast, Canadian viewers will see U.S. ads provided they tune in on an American network. Canadian ads will air on Canadian Super Bowl broadcasts.
Prior to 2017, Canadian broadcasters were allowed to simultaneously substitute U.S. ads for Canadian ones.
“For a number of years, Canadians have complained to the CRTC that they wanted to see the American ads during the Super Bowl. The CRTC has taken action to resolve the issue,” the agency said in a statement on its website.
The CRTC says that the U.S. spots will only be available during the game, not during the pre- or post-game shows.
It will be a different story when the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade deal is ratified. There’s a clause in the agreement in which Canada agreed to rescind the broadcasting policy that allowed for American ads to play on Canadian networks.
So far, the CRTC has refused to do so, despite a challenge from Bell Media.
The Super Bowl is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for the advertising industry, with the world’s major brands bringing their A-game to reach a massive broadcast audience.
The Associated Press reports that each 30-second spot costs $5.3 million this year.
M&Ms introduced a new bar in its 2019 ad, with the help of a frustrated Christina Applegate with a backseat full of squabbling candies.
Budweiser, however, went with a canine star and Bob Dylan’s Blowing in the Wind for its 2019 offering.
Coca-Cola chose to go with a message of unity in an ad with the slogan, “Together is beautiful.”
Amazon decided to riff off of concerns about the proliferation of voice-activated technology in a spot that features — among other things — the stars of Broad City getting launched out of a hot tub.
And, in an ad for Flamin’ Hot Nacho Doritos, Chance the Rapper performed alongside the Backstreet Boys in a rendition of I Want It That Way.
The 2019 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 3, will see the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams in Atlanta. Kick-off time is 6:30 p.m.
— With files from Jesse Ferreras, Global News