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Why most Super Bowl time commercial hits don’t air in Canada

It's arguably the one night of the year when people also tune in for the commercials.

Super Bowl Sunday has long been the launching pad for some of advertising's greatest hits. Just look at last year's pint-sized Darth Vader for Volkswagen ad, or Apple's (now somewhat ironic) 1984-style debut.

This year's batch includes a highly anticipated turn by comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who will appear alongside the infamous Soup Nazi as part of Honda's nostalgia campaign.

But Canadian fans without specialty channels will have to wait until the Seinfeld commercial gets streamed online before enjoying this legendary sitcom reunion.

As the Globe and Mail reports, TV rights issues will once again restrict the number of million-dollar ads that make it to our screens. In fact, the commercials we'll see during the Canadian Super Bowl broadcast won't seem much different than the lineup on any other night. Great excuse for popping another batch of wings in the oven, but frustrating if you were hoping to catch the Honda ad's world debut in real time.

Considering how cheap it is to buy Canadian airtime, running the ads could be considered the budgetary equivalent of pocket change. While NBC charges $3.5 million U.S. to air a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl, the same time slot would cost advertisers roughly CDN $130,000 north of the border.

The reluctance to invest in Canadian airtime stems partly from a belief by many U.S. advertisers that football isn't as much of a cultural draw here.

Yet, as the paper notes, that notion doesn't match with the numbers. According to BBM Canada figures quoted in the article, the 2011 Super Bowl was the third most-watched program of the year, attracting 6.53 million potential Honda drivers.

Another reason, however, could have to do with casting. As many Super Bowl commercials feature lesser-known actors and talent fees vary from country to country, this could pad costs. Ads approved to air in Canada must also show both English and French packaging—an additional post-production fee that may deter U.S. companies.

Still, a few big names are taking advantage of the blackout to specifically target us.

Hyundai said that after last year's commercial failed to resonate with Canadian audiences, the company created an ad directly for our broadcast this year.

"Some marketers are missing the boat if they run their regular, everyday TV creative during the Super Bowl. I think they're missing an opportunity for entertainment," Hyundai vice-president of marketing, John Vernile, told the Globe.

Labatt Brewing Co. has also followed suit with a Canadian-targeted spot. Samsung said it would be deviating from the norm this year by airing its big budget U.S. commercial during the Canadian broadcast.

Despite this incipient movement into northern markets, there's one Canadian who may have to wait to see his own Super Bowl commercial debut.

As the Calgary Herald notes, Nitro, a telegenic husky from Okotoks, AB, will likely have to look for his Suzuki commercial online, like the rest of us.

(AP/CareerBuilders.com photo)