OTTAWA – Canadians may be able to watch U.S. ads in next year’s Super Bowl after the CRTC officially moved to prohibit simultaneous substitution for the big game starting in 2017.
The Commission issued a distribution order on Friday that effectively halts simultaneous substitution (simsub) for the event starting with Super Bowl 51, scheduled for February 5, 2017. Simsub occurs when a BDU temporarily replaces the signal of one TV channel with that of another channel showing the same program at the same time. According to the CRTC, during the Let’s Talk TV proceeding Canadians expressed ongoing frustration with the practice, including the frequency in errors made during the simsub process.
As it stands, the rule only applies to rebroadcasts of U.S. television stations, meaning that Canadian stations airing the Super Bowl may continue to include Canadian ads in their broadcasts. The distribution order will not apply to pre- and post-Super Bowl game components, such as the singing of the national anthem or the trophy presentation ceremonies.
“Based on the record for this issue from the Let's Talk TV proceeding to the present proceeding, the Commission finds that simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl is not in the public interest, and is therefore not convinced that it should change its policy decision to exclude that event from the simultaneous substitution regime”, reads the decision.
It remains to be seen, however, whether this distribution order will hold. As Cartt.ca has reported, Canadian Super Bowl rightsholder Bell Media and the National Football League have appealed the CRTC’s simsub ban to the Federal Court of Appeal. The case was heard in June and a decision is expected later this year.
