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February 1, 2018 1:43 pm  #1


CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Well, they couldn’t win the battle of Super Bowl simsub in the courts, so CTV is trying to pull one last rabbit out of its football helmet – a “Watch To Win” contest to get viewers to stay away from the NBC feed this Sunday.
 
The network has announced that they’ll be airing a “secret word” that will pop up occasionally in the middle of a commercial cluster (when else?) during the Big Game. If viewers text or email those bon mots along with their ID, they could win a car, a trip and tickets to next year’s Super Bowl in Atlanta or cash amounts ranging from $50,000 to the grand prize of $150,000.
           
And don’t think you can tape the thing and enter later. There are five separate entry periods of just five minutes each and winners will be announced on the broadcast.
 
So the question: will it work? Would this be enough to make you give up the NBC feed to watch it on CTV? I’m pretty sure they tried the same thing last year and yet they still claim to have lost a huge amount of viewers. So if you believe Bell’s claims about audience hemorrhaging, it would appear while it certainly couldn’t hurt the CTV broadcast, it wasn’t exactly a touchdown, either.
 
CTV Watch To Win Super Bowl Contest

 

February 1, 2018 2:26 pm  #2


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Not new. They did this last year but it looks like they've refined a few things.

 

February 1, 2018 2:35 pm  #3


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Well, if you listen to their whinging on it in court and to the CRTC, they lost so many viewers to the American feed, they're practically going broke. They still make money on the thing, of course, just not as much as they were. I'm pretty sure the CTV inventory is completely sold out for the game, and that the contest is a desperate attempt to hold onto - or bring back - as many viewers as they can. 

Again, my question: will it work? If you believe Bell Media, after last year's disastrous results, the answer - by their own admission - would seem to be "no." We'll see what the comparable numbers are like after Sunday. Interestingly, while they lose the right to simsub the game, they retain the overlay of the "This Is Us" episode that follows. 

What a completely messed up system we have in this country. 

     Thread Starter
 

February 1, 2018 3:07 pm  #4


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

I will NOT be watching on CTV. I bet the simsub will be in place through the National anthem and coin toss. The switch will come right at the kickoff. The simsub will return maybe 2 or 3 seconds after the final whistle sounds. Bell is going to do this to the letter of the law.

 

February 1, 2018 3:21 pm  #5


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Same here... won't be watching the game on CTV, but rather Detroit's WDIV 4.  Great to be in an area where simsub doesn't happen at all on the local cablesystem.

 

February 1, 2018 3:31 pm  #6


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

I thought it was a CRTC mandate that all  Canadian satellite and cable companies do the simsub thingy. Antenna wise I always thought Leamington would be the best place to be for maximum U.S. reception. with a rotor, I would imagine you would have access to Detroit/Toledo and Cleveland stations. Nice for a variety of NFL games.

 

February 1, 2018 5:03 pm  #7


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

The real problem is that nobody thinks they're going to win, so why not just watch the US feed and enjoy the commercials?  Did anyone even win their so-called prizes last year?

 

February 1, 2018 5:18 pm  #8


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Well, legally, they HAD to award the prizes by law last year, although I'd be hard pressed to tell you who won - or what they got. The great irony here is that with so many Canadians distracted by being able to watch the game on NBC, your odds of winning theoretically go up, because there will be fewer entrants. 

But really, Super Bowl Sunday has become so much of an unofficial North American holiday now, that the commercials are just part of the experience, kind of like the tailgating parties outside NFL games in the States. My guess is that most people will think they have no chance of winning anyway, so why bother tuning into CTV for a chance of hundreds of thousands or millions-to-one of winning?

     Thread Starter
 

February 1, 2018 5:28 pm  #9


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Actually a quick web search shows they did exactly the same thing last year, with almost the exact same prizes - a car, a trip to this year's Super Bowl, and cash - including the same $150,000 grand prize. The game was also on CTV, CTV Two, TSN and they even streamed it live on the CTV website, which I assume is the plan again. And still, they lost viewers.

This year, they at least have a decent show following the contest, that "This Is Us" how-did-Jack-die episode. Anyone remember what they aired as their big lead-out in 2017? You won't believe it.

It was [shudder] a brand new "Letterkenny!" From their own press release

"In the most coveted timeslot in primetime television, CTV delivers a commercial-free special presentation of the first episode of CraveTV’s smash-hit original comedy LETTERKENNY, airing on network television for the first time ever. "

Wow. If an episode of Letterkenny - trying to shill CraveTV no less - is the best you can do with the biggest audience of the year, that's just pathetic. At least this year, there's a reason to stay tuned after the game. Although I'll be watching "Us" on NBC.    

     Thread Starter
 

February 1, 2018 5:46 pm  #10


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

When did we, in this society, give this much s**t about watching commercials? This is a whole lot of outrage over ads. I guess people have run out of crap to worry about. 😳🤔

 

February 1, 2018 6:59 pm  #11


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Unfortunately, for better or worse, the commercials have become a part of the experience. But there's a new wrinkle. The NFL now says if the spots are the issue, then next year, they may actually arrange for a pre-Super Bowl airing of ALL the ads in Canada as a CTV special. 

The argument is that if the commercials are all shown here, then there's no reason not to substitute the signal. 

From the National Post:

"...the NFL not only is open to televising U.S. Super Bowl commercials in Canada in an alternative way, such as in a packaged compilation TV program, it has raised the idea with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Postmedia has learned...

“Look, if your goal here is to have fans be able to see the U.S. ads, then is there an alternative way we could deliver that, that doesn’t require us to take out the Canadian advertisers, which has a really negative impact?" [asks NFL executive VP of international Mark Waller.] "These are the conversations we want to have with the CRTC."


At one point in the article, Waller starts to sound like a spoiled child who's not getting his way with mommy.

"...the CRTC does this only against us (the NFL). Not the Emmys, or the Grammys or any of the other great sports events out there. It seems odd to us.”


While he has a point, I suppose, somehow I just can't feel sorry for the NFL. And I have even less sympathy for Bell.

U.S. Super Bowl ads will beam into Canada once again on Sunday — and the NFL and Bell aren't pleased

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February 1, 2018 7:34 pm  #12


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

I don't watch sports. And I fast forward my PVR they all commercials. This whole argument is beyond infantile. And, when I sober up, I'll stop posting pictures of my genitalia.

 

February 2, 2018 9:48 am  #13


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

cGrant wrote:

I don't watch sports. And I fast forward my PVR they all commercials. This whole argument is beyond infantile. And, when I sober up, I'll stop posting pictures of my genitalia.

No. it is not infantile. I am paying to watch the whole NBC/CBS/ABC/FOX primetime program. NOT the edited CTV/CITY/GLOBAL version of it. FCC allows only 8 minutes of ads in primetime [8-11pm] The CRTC allows 12 minutes per hour.4 minutes are edited out of the show for the extra ads and if you are on Rogers/Bell/Shaw YOU have no choice unless you pay extra for the Seattle affiliates.[which I do]  Ever wondered why you never see "Stay tuned for scenes from next week's episode" Extra Canadian ads. And before you lecture me on Just put up an antenna. I live in an apartment in North York that faces north. Odds of Buffalo reception. Slim to none. Remember, the only reason people subscribed to cable originally was to [in cottage country] get U.S. signals  or [in the GTA] better reception of the U.S. signals.

 

February 2, 2018 10:33 am  #14


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Stream it unaltered via VPN on a US website.

 

February 2, 2018 11:02 am  #15


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

I just heard an ad for CTV's "Watch To Win" contest on Bell-owned CKTB. The spot claims that it's back "by popular demand!" 

I would challenge CTV to prove that anyone anywhere - outside their own company - asked for this to return or even remembered it from last year (beyond, perhaps, the few winners.) 

Aren't there truth in advertising laws anymore? 

     Thread Starter
 

February 3, 2018 9:59 pm  #16


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

     Thread Starter
 

February 3, 2018 10:44 pm  #17


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

Here's a prediction. This will be the last year the American signal will be allowed on the majority of Canadian BDUs.
The CRTC will reverse its recent policy or the Supremes will decide in Bell's favour.

 

February 4, 2018 2:48 am  #18


Re: CTV Tries To Bribe Viewers To Watch Super Bowl On Their Network

RadioActive wrote:

I just heard an ad for CTV's "Watch To Win" contest on Bell-owned CKTB. The spot claims that it's back "by popular demand!"  

GOOD! If it's back by "Popular demand" then Bell does not need a sim sub now does it??
 


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