Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
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Super Bowl TV commercials – why are the ads different?
Some Super Bowl ads from the US aren't shown in Canada
Television advertisements during the Super Bowl football game get a lot of hype, but we often don’t see the same Super Bowl ads in Canada as in the US.
Every year, Canadian stations buy the rights to air the Super Bowl in Canada, but they sell the commercial advertising slots to Canadian advertisers. They replace the ads that Americans see at home.
Even if you get US TV stations that broadcast the Super Bowl, these stations haven’t bought the rights to broadcast the game – or the commercial ads – to Canadians. So the American signal carrying the game is usually substituted with a Canadian signal which contains the Canadian ads.
Signal substitution
Signal substitution is when a signal is temporarily replaced by another one. Usually, an American signal is replaced with a Canadian signal. Sometimes, a Canadian signal from outside your area is replaced with a local signal.
Why do it?
When broadcasters buy programs from American or Canadian producers or networks, they pay substantial sums of money to have exclusive rights in their home markets. The simultaneous substitution requirements are designed to protect those rights.
Why substitute the signal?
Canadian television stations usually sell the advertising slots to Canadian advertisers. Sometimes, American advertisers do buy time on Canadian stations. However, there are many reasons why they might choose not to. For example, the American products advertised may not be available in Canada.
