In a performance that has to make last week’s CRTC ruling preventing Bell Media from simulcasting the Super Bowl beyond 2017 sting even more, Sunday’s telecast attracted an average audience of 9.2 million viewers on CTV (8.2 million) and RDS (1 million) according to preliminary overnight data from Numeris.
That represents a 13% increase over the previous record-high (8.18 million viewers for the 2012 Super Bowl) and a 16% increase compared to last year’s game, which drew an average 7.94 million viewers.
An estimated 19.3 million unique viewers – approximately 55% of the population – tuned in for at least part of the game, won in dramatic fashion by the New England Patriots.
Audiences peaked at 12.2 million during the halftime show featuring Katy Perry with special guests Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. That represented a 23% increase over the 2013 halftime show.
Appearing in the post-Super Bowl timeslot, the second season premiere of Masterchef Canada attracted a preliminary overnight audience of 1.35 million people – making it the day’s most-watched non-sports program.
Meanwhile, Seattle Seahawks fans in Vancouver helped propel the Super Bowl telecast to a 70% share amongst 2+ viewers and in all key adult demos in that market.
The ratings triumphs were no doubt bittersweet for CTV/RDS owner Bell Media however, coming just three days after the CRTC ruled that it would not be able to simulcast the Super Bowl beginning in 2017. The ruling means that Canadian advertisers will have no access to the year’s most-watched telecast after next year’s game.
Bell signed a new multi-year rights deal with the NFL in 2013 that extends beyond 2017.
On Sunday, Mirko Bibic, Bell’s chief legal and regulatory officer, took the unusual step of writing to the CRTC to request a private meeting with commissioners to further discuss the decision.
In the letter, a copy of which is posted on the website of legal expert Michael Geist, Bibic wrote: “While I may often disagree with CRTC rulings, I always respect that the Commission has to take the broader public interest into account. In this case however, I really do believe that negative impact to advertisers, Canadian content and Bell Media significantly outweigh the convenience to some viewers of being able to watch American ads within the broadcast itself.”
Christine Laizner, the CRTC’s senior general counsel/executive director responded to Bibic on Monday, saying the decision was reached after an “extensive” public proceeding that examined “many options” in respect to simsub, including its total elimination.
“In light of the above, it would be inappropriate for you to hold private meetings with commissioners either individually or collectively to discuss your views on this decision,” she wrote. “It would be unfair to other parties to the public proceeding for commissioners to hold off the record conversations with one party with a view to altering a decision already taken.”
She also noted that there would be further public process to implement the CRTC’s decision via regulation. “As such,” she said. “The implementation of this decision is still before the Commission.”
If it stands, the decision means that Bell will no longer be able to overlay Canadian ads during the Super Bowl telecast. Advertisers in Sunday’s game included quarter sponsors Labatt Breweries of Canada, Ford of Canada and Nissan Canada, while additional brands showcased during the four-hour telecast included Canadian Armed Forces, CIBC, the Government of Canada, Manulife Financial, PC Financial, Scotiabank and Tim Hortons.
In a nod to the CRTC’s recent decision, Perry MacDonald, senior vice-president of CTV sales, said the record audience proves that there is “no better opportunity for Canadian advertisers to strike a chord with Canadian viewers than the Super Bowl.”
Contacted Tuesday by Marketing, Marie-Eve Francoeur, senior manager of media relations at Bell, called the company a “major stakeholder” in the simsub issue.
“We ask only that the CRTC confront the real impact its simsub decision [has] on Canadians,” she said. “Access to American TV commercials [during] the Super Bowl may be important (even if every Canadian could easily access the ads anyway), but we see jobs, investment and opportunity in Canadian media as far more important.
“The significant revenue and access impact of the CRTC’s decision harms Canadian creators, producers and advertisers, already facing challenges on all fronts, while directly benefiting U.S. companies that never asked for the favour.”
Francouer also noted the federal government is traditionally among the biggest advertisers on the Super Bowl. “Will they now buy ad space from NBC? Or simply be shut out of the biggest viewership night in Canadian TV, like every other Canadian advertiser?”
CTV/RDS owner Bell Media also used the telecast for an extensive promotion of seven of its original Canadian productions: Saving Hope, Motive, Bitten, 19-2, Orphan Black, Airshow and Masterchef Canada.
