With all the craziness that’s been going on about the CRTC’s decision to deny CTV any simsub during next month’s Super Bowl, I noticed that Fox is making a big deal about streaming the game – and for the first time ever, plans to show local commercials during its online broadcast. So if you’re living in say, Peoria, Illinois, you’d see that spot for the local car dealer or whoever can afford to pay for a comercial in the big show.
 
Best of all, the streaming in the U.S. will be free to anyone with a computer, phone or tablet.

Fox’s Super Bowl LI Free Live-Stream Online Will Include Local Ads in Industry First 

"For the Super Bowl stream, users will not need to enter their pay-TV credentials for viewing — it will be free to anyone in the U.S."

Which brings us to CTV and what's going on north of the border. I spoke to a Bell Media rep this morning specifically for this thread, since I couldn’t find a single shred of information online about whether the company is planning to stream the game (with the much disputed CTV commercials, of course) for Canadian viewers.
 
And the answer is they will be - but with a catch. According to the Bell spokesman, anyone who wants to access the game online using the CTVgo app will have to “sign in using the proper credentials.” That means that unless you’re subscribed to a cable or satellite service, like Fibe, Rogers or Shaw, you won’t be able to watch it remotely.
 
When I told the guy I was only on an antenna, he didn’t seem too concerned that I’d be shut out from the coverage. Actually, I couldn’t care less about the game and don’t follow football. But I do find it curious that after all the court cases, complaints and anger that’s greeted the CRTC’s decision to drop simsub for this one event, people who watch CTV’s over-the-air signal will be shut out from the digital broadcast entirely and thus won't be able to see the ads they're making all the fuss about. 
 
Fox had the good wisdom to make it free for all its viewers, thus increasing the chance more eyeballs will see their highly paid-for spots, giving advertisers who are shelling out huge dollars an even bigger platform. But Bell has decided antenna folk don’t count, even though CTV is OTA.
 
Seems to me that’s not just a Super Bowl decision. It’s a Super Bad one, too.

Last edited by RadioActive (January 17, 2017 11:57 am)