The Super Bowl may be football's biggest game, but it's also a television juggernaut.
Every year, it ranks as the most-watched TV event in the United States, and here in Canada it's always near the top of the list. Last year, 4.33 million Canadians tuned into the NFL's championship game — a number TV executives and advertisers love.
With the game being an annual ratings bonanza on both sides of the border, companies from across the spectrum spend countless millions putting their best foot forward in glitzy commercials that air when all those eyeballs are pointed at screens around North America. It's become as big a part of the game itself — many tune in just to see the latest innovative ads for soda, movies, electronics, beer and more.
MORE: Watch the best ads before Super Bowl 54
In recent years, Canadians have had the choice of switching between CTV and the American-based broadcaster in order to catch a glimpse of the commercials. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) actually ruled in 2016 that the normal practice of "simultaneous substitution" — which the CRTC defines as "when your television service provider temporarily replaces the entire signal of one TV channel with another channel that's showing the same program at the same time" — was against the public interest when it came to U.S. Super Bowl ads.
In short, enough Canadians made a stink about not being able to watch the American Super Bowl commercials that the CRTC actually changed its own rule to allow it. For two years (2017 and 2018), Canadians with cable or satellite could choose to watch the CTV broadcast or whichever American channel was showing the game.
However, Bell Media (CTV's owner and Canadian NFL rightsholder, along with DAZN) challenged the decision, and in Dec. 2019 the Supreme Court reversed the CRTC ruling.
Watch the Super Bowl on DAZN (start your free trial)
That means that the ads shown in Canada during Sunday's game will be chosen by CTV.
As the CRTC noted in its statement following the Supreme Court decision, U.S. companies are still free to purchase Canadian advertising space, meaning some of the American commercials could pop up during the broadcast north of the border. Additionally, nearly all of the U.S. Super Bowl ads are already available online at sites like YouTube.
How to watch Super Bowl 54: TV channel and live stream in Canada
- TV channel: CTV
- Live stream: DAZN
Super Bowl 54 is on CTV via traditional network TV. To live stream in Canada, it is available via DAZN, the global sports streaming service.
DAZN offers exclusive coverage of every NFL game in Canada, both live and on demand. DAZN Canada also partnered with Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel and other cable/satellite providers to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket across Canada, for Sunday afternoon games. However, DAZN is the only place to watch every preseason, regular season and playoff games, plus exclusive access to RedZone.
A subscription to DAZN is $20 CAD a month or $150 a year. You can sign up for a free trial by clicking here.
What time does Super Bowl 54 start?
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 2
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Kickoff for this year's Super Bowl is at 6:30 p.m. ET. For those interested in the halftime show, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez are this year's performers. Neither musician has performed at the Super Bowl before.
Super Bowl 54 news, updates
- Super Bowl odds, spread, line: Chiefs open as favorite to win Super Bowl 54 over 49ers
- Mea culpa, 49ers: An apology for doubting San Francisco's surprising Super Bowl run
- How much are Super Bowl tickets?
- Let's stop pretending that Super Bowl commercials are good
- How to watch Super Bowl 54 as a Chiefs fan: An expert's guide to an enjoyable experience 50 years in the making
- How the 49ers built a Super Bowl team in 3 years
Chiefs’ road to Super Bowl 54
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Houston Texans | W, 51-31 |
| AFC Championship | Tennessee Titans | W, 35-24 |
Kansas City's path to the Super Bowl included a wild game against Houston in which the Chiefs came back from a 21-point deficit after one quarter and ultimately put up 51 points. The AFC Championship was a similar story; Mahomes and the Chiefs scored 35 points after going down by 10 early in the first quarter.
49ers’ road to Super Bowl 54
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Minnesota Vikings | W, 27-10 |
| NFC Championship | Green Bay Packers | W, 37-20 |
The 49ers allowed the Vikings just 147 total yards in their return to the NFL playoffs for the first time in five years, the fewest in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era. In the NFC Championship, Garoppolo threw just eight passes the entire game; Mostert took the spotlight with four rushing touchdowns and 220 yards gained on the ground.