For the second year in a row, many Canadians who tuned into the Super Bowl did not get to see many of the famous big-budget American advertisements.

A Supreme Court decision in 2019 stated that Canadians could only see Canadian broadcaster-based ads, as a means of promoting locally based products and keeping advertising dollars north of the border.

• See also:
  • The best Super Bowl commercials we didn’t see in Canada this year

Advertisers typically pay more than USD $5 million for a 30-second spot in the United States, so those ads are often more entertaining than the ones Canadian channels typically air, although some brands are trying to keep up with their American counterparts.

Beginning in 2017, the CRTC allowed Canadians to view American ads if they wanted to on CBS, while Canadian ads aired on CTV. The CRTC noted that part of the Super Bowl experience for viewers was the commercials and argued that they could allow both kinds of ads.

However, the NFL and Bell argued that the CRTC didn’t have the power to make the decision, and the Supreme Court agreed. They reversed a decision by the Federal Court of Appeal in 2019, ruling that the CRTC went beyond its scope under the Broadcasting Act.

So whether you tuned into CTV, TSN, or even CBS, Canadian fans were subjected to only the Canadian broadcaster ads.

As a result, many took to social media to share their frustration on missing out.

Folks. Send me your favorite #superbowl ads! We don’t get them in Canada. 😩

— Danna Galvin [Euverman] (@MissGTweets13) February 8, 2021

Except we don’t get them here in Canada 😂 we get lame Canadian ones haha

— Matti Haapoja (@MattiHaapoja) February 7, 2021

USA: These Super Bowl commercials are amazing!

Canada: Enjoy this 10-month old Skip The Dishes ad.

— Noel D (@djnumeric) February 8, 2021

Saddest part of watching the Super Bowl in Canada. Missing all the American ads…. #Superbowl

— FemmeFighter (@thefemmefighter) February 8, 2021

today I learned that I won’t be able to watch the Disney+ Super Bowl ads because I live in Canada what the frick pic.twitter.com/KiM39QtdyS

— logan📺wv spoilers! (@discodjarin) February 6, 2021

Don’t worry Canada, for yer Super Bowl, you’ll get ads from The Brick, Leon’s and that guy asking people if they knew that A&W’s cows eat grass. Plus a repeated regional ad about hearing aids. https://t.co/57h80SHfMD

— JimBryson (@jimbryson) February 2, 2021

I would just like to reiterate that Canada does NOT get the same #SuperBowl ads the US gets and it makes me very sad

— Jane Juniper🐜 (@JaneIreland19) February 8, 2021

Canada has the worst ads in the world, this Super Bowl proves it. My God

— Mike Sweeney (@TheMikeSweeney) February 8, 2021

The best commercials of the year during the #SuperBowl but in Canada we get Jon Hamm ad nauseam.

— Neeks (@Neeks314) February 8, 2021

If @BellMediaPR is gonna force us in Canada to watch their ads, at least sell new ones for the #SuperBowl #bringbackUSsuperbowlAds

— Matt Sheriko (@MattSheriko) February 7, 2021

We don’t get to see the Superbowl ads here in Canada, I always feel left out of the commercial conversations

— Melonie Sibbitt🇨🇦 (@melsibbitt) February 8, 2021

In Canada we get Canadian commercials during the super bowl.Horrible boring ads like the game.

— eddy g 🍁 (@eddygeeeeeee) February 8, 2021