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December 19, 2019 11:09 am  #1


Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

It's over - and depending on where you stand, viewers lost and Bell Media won. Either way, the highest court in the land has reversed a controversial CRTC ruling that prevented cable and satellite companies in this country from blacking out the U.S. feed of the Super Bowl - and its famous million-dollar-plus spots. 

It's an exemption that was made to try and let Canadians see what everyone else was watching and it was just for that specific event. But Bell had maintained it was costing them a fortune, despite paying huge money for the rights. 

It's not yet clear if the ruling takes effect this February or not, but all future Super Bowl broadcasts will be simsubbed - meaning if you don't get your TV off an antenna, you'll only see CTV's coverage - and its commercials.

Court sides with Bell, NFL in Super Bowl commercials case

 

December 19, 2019 11:17 am  #2


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

That's it - because of this ruling, I am never again watching the Super Bowl as long as Bell has the Canadian rights to it and we have the Canadian feed shoved down our throats.  If this eventually applies to all NFL telecasts in Canada, I will not be watching another NFL game by any means.

 

December 19, 2019 11:22 am  #3


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

Forward Power wrote:

If this eventually applies to all NFL telecasts in Canada, I will not be watching another NFL game by any means.

It already does.
 

 

December 19, 2019 11:23 am  #4


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

Can you get an antenna? That solves a lot of problems for people who feel the way you do. And frankly, the quality of the HD picture is a lot better. Plus no simsub, all the famous spots and no late rejoins.

     Thread Starter
 

December 19, 2019 11:26 am  #5


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

OTA reception of U.S. stations is non-existent where I am (National Capital Region), so using an antenna is not an option.  Thanks to Bell and the No Fun League, I am definitely no longer supporting that league in any way, shape or form.

 

December 19, 2019 12:49 pm  #6


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

Forward Power wrote:

That's it - because of this ruling, I am never again watching the Super Bowl as long as Bell has the Canadian rights to it and we have the Canadian feed shoved down our throats 

Take that, Tom Brady
 

 

December 19, 2019 12:52 pm  #7


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

It will happen this February if NAFTA 2 gets approved by Canada, US and Mexico. Outside chance the new deal could even be approved tomorrow in the US, or will be in the new year.  The conservatives have said various times that they will support the new NAFTA so passage here will be quick. Hasn't Mexico already ratified?

Like most things in life, this is about money. Bell and the NFL don't want the US network feed of the Super Bowl or any NFL games showing up on Canadian cable TV.  Bell pays big money to the NFL for exclusive rights in Canada and if the game is carried on cable from another source then it isn't exclusive anymore. And then Bell won't pay as much money for non exclusive rights. In addition ratings for CTV/TSN/RDS are lower and then less revenue.  The NFL (and Donald Trump) agreed with Bell and that's why all of this went to the supreme court.

There was a lot of pressure last year to go back to the simsub, but the CRTC said that since NAFTA 2 had not been ratified, nothing had changed and the US feed was carried on cable. 

 

December 19, 2019 1:36 pm  #8


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

For those of you away from the U.S. border, may I suggest several streaming sites that someone had mentioned in an earlier post on this site.  ustvgo.tv and ustv247.tv. Both offer feeds from all the U.S. networks including PBS. Other channels available include A&E, TBS, USA, Syfi, HBO, CNN, MSNBC, FOXNews, TCM, AMC, ESPN, Nat Geographic, Showtime, Starz, TLC, TNT, NFL Network and TVLAND. No more simsub for SNF, MNF, NFL Playoffs, and the Super Bowl. One caveat for regular season NFL fans. The site seems to rotate the network affilliates. I have seen FOX from NYC, Tampa, Miami and Cincinnati. CBS from Miami, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and NYC. If you just want to watch primetime programming, you will be totally simsub free.

 

December 19, 2019 6:21 pm  #9


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

So it appears it WILL be in effect for this year's big game, giving CTV back its exclusivity. The court decided the CRTC erred in interpreting its authority over a specific part of the Broadcasting Act. 

“Properly interpreted, this provision only authorizes the issuance of mandatory carriage orders — orders that require television service providers to carry specific channels as part of their cable or satellite offerings — that include specified terms and conditions.

"It does not empower the CRTC to impose terms and conditions on the distribution of programming services generally.

"Accordingly, because the Order does not actually mandate that television service providers distribute a channel that broadcasts the Super Bowl, but instead simply imposes a condition on those that already do, its issuance was not authorized by section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act.”


Have to say I'm not surprised by the outcome, but I wish they would have found a way around it. Without going back to the CanCon streaming thread, I hate simsub. I understand why it's done, but as a viewer, it deeply offends me that any government can control what station I choose to watch something on.  

I'm lucky enough to have an antenna, and not being a football fan, this doesn't really affect me all that much. But I do feel bad for viewers like Forward Power, who no longer have the Power going Forward to make his/her own choice. 

     Thread Starter
 

December 19, 2019 6:34 pm  #10


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

@ ForwardPower ... don't give up on the idea of an antenna.  I used to live about an hour south of Ottawa and when whoever the service provider was (I honestly forget) got too greedy, I cut the cord and bought an antenna.It takes a bit of getting used to, and IIRC we didn't get all Big 3 networks, BUT we got 2 PBS stations PLUS their 2 substations (I'm not technical but I hope that's close enough to the correct term) Create was one of them and it almost became the only station we watched.  I think the third one was RT, believe it or not, the Russian propaganda station. At least they aired a lot of its programming.   These are not your Dad's antennae, and our installer was pretty amazing in getting us set up. Def worth investigating. AND you pay once then kiss your telecom goodbye forever. That's the best part.

 

December 19, 2019 6:41 pm  #11


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

TV Fool is an excellent site you can use to plug in your location info and see what you might be able to get before you put up an antenna. Worth a look - it's free.

TV Fool 

     Thread Starter
 

December 19, 2019 7:19 pm  #12


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but all of the ads will likely be on Youtube a day or two before the game. At least they were last year. Just google Super Bowl Commercials 2020 and they should be there, but again a day or two before the broadcast.

 

December 19, 2019 7:38 pm  #13


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

I have always watched the American feed on Shawdirect.  In the clear never had an issue. Also a lot less compression on this feed too.

 

December 19, 2019 9:17 pm  #14


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

Kilgore wrote:

Forward Power wrote:

That's it - because of this ruling, I am never again watching the Super Bowl as long as Bell has the Canadian rights to it and we have the Canadian feed shoved down our throats 

Take that, Tom Brady
 

Fuck Tom Brady

#billsmafia

 

December 19, 2019 9:18 pm  #15


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

American advertisers generally only advertise with the American rights-holders to the Superbowl, and not with the Canadian rights-holders.This is a big deal for some reason.

 

December 19, 2019 9:40 pm  #16


Re: Supreme Court Rules No More U.S. Super Bowl Spots For Cdns. On Cable

Also NAFTA 2 has now been ratified by the US House of Representatives in a bi-partisan vote, 385-41.
The sim-sub for Super Bowl was part of the new deal.