Canada's media regulator has "officially changed its rules to prevent broadcasters from swapping out U.S. commercials for local ads during the Super Bowl despite an ongoing legal dispute over its right to block Canadian advertising during the country's most-watched television event," according to Emily Jackson of the FINANCIAL POST. The Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Friday issued an order to "stop simultaneous substitution" during the Super Bowl, effective this season. This could mean Canadians will be able to "watch U.S. ads -- the CRTC dubbed these an 'integral element of the event' -- during the Super Bowl for the first time" in '17. The CRTC first announced plans to get rid of simultaneous substitution in '15, citing consumers' "desire to see the flashier American ads." The rule only applies to "rebroadcasts of U.S. stations, so Canadian stations playing the event can continue to play Canadian ads." However, it is not clear whether the CRTC's new rule "will last until the big game." Toronto-based Bell Media and the NFL challenged the simultaneous substitution ban in a Canadian court, which is "expected to rule on the matter in the next few months" (FINANCIAL POST, 8/20).
