Canada Special: Discover the Best Spot to Catch the 2023 Super Bowl!

Super Bowl ⅬⅦ, the 57th rendition of the new-age championship game for the National Football League (NFL), is set to occur on Sunday, February 12, 2023. The Kansas City Chiefs, victors of the American Football Conference (AFC), will go up against the Philadelphia Eagles, the champions of the National Football Conference (NFC). The spectacle will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. According to NFL regulations, the Eagles will be recognized as the "home" team, as is customary for NFC representatives in odd-numbered years.

In Canada, the game can be viewed through the CTV broadcast network and its various streaming platforms (as well as NTV, the primary privately-owned television station serving Newfoundland and Labrador, which maintains a loose association with CTV presently); the TSN and RDS cable sports channels and their respective streaming applications; and the TSN and DAZN streaming services.

TSN, which will present an information-improved feed of CTV/TSN's coverage, is currently offering a complimentary preview. There is a strong likelihood that this preview will extend to this year's game, although it is unlikely to continue in future editions. The other aforementioned streaming services necessitate paid subscriptions.

Furthermore, the game will be televised on Fox – with CTV and TSN also airing Fox's game broadcast. However, the American advertisements will not be available if you watch Fox through a Canadian cable or satellite provider, excluding most regions of Canada, as we will elaborate on below. Moreover, the Fox and Fox Sports streaming applications are not accessible in Canada, and Fox's Tubi service is not authorized to stream the game within the country.

What is the Super Bowl's schedule in Canada?

As per customary routine in recent years in terms of estimated times, the game is timetabled to commence at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (the time zone encompassing the majority of Ontario and Quebec).

In other time zones, the kickoff times are as follows:

• 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time (the time zone covering most of British Columbia)
• 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time (the local time at the venue in Arizona, and the time zone covering Yukon [since late 2020], Alberta, most of Nunavut, parts of the Northwest Territories, small portions of eastern B.C., and Lloydminster on the Alberta/Saskatchewan border)
• 5:30 p.m. Central Time (covering Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan, northwestern Ontario, and part of Nunavut)
• 7:30 p.m. Atlantic Time (covering New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and most of Labrador)
• 8:00 p.m. Newfoundland Time (covering the island of Newfoundland, and a small part of southern Labrador)

The comprehensive game coverage will commence at approximately 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT with opening remarks from Fox game broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen, as well as the kickoff festivities such as the coin toss and a rendition of the U.S. national anthem.

Fox will start their main pregame coverage at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT. However, in our opinion, there won't be any significant benefit to tuning in that early.

The halftime show, featuring a performance from Rhianna, is scheduled to begin five to ten minutes after the second quarter ends, around 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. ET. Typically, the Super Bowl halftime performance lasts about 20 minutes.

The earliest the game could finish would be around 9:30–9:45 p.m. ET. After that, there will be postgame ceremonies, such as the presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which will likely extend the broadcast for at least another 20 minutes. According to the current Fox schedule, their post-game show will air until 10:30 p.m. ET, although this could change depending on when the game actually concludes.

How is the word "Superbowl" spelled?

The term "Super Bowl" is spelled as two separate words. The name comes from the end-of-season college football bowl games, with the Rose Bowl Game being the first and longest-running, held at the bowl-shaped stadium in Pasadena, California. Other similar games include the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, among others.

Therefore, using terms like "Superbowl LVII" or "Superbowl 57" is technically incorrect. However, we understand that many people type it that way, so we are mentioning it here. (You are familiar with search engine optimization, right?)

Depending on your interests, you might also find the "Big Game" day a suitable opportunity to observe majestic owls.

Can I stream the Super Bowl in Canada?

Yes, with some conditions.

To stream the Super Bowl through authorized NFL media outlets, you would normally need a paid subscription. This could be either a service from a cable or TV provider that includes channels like CTV, TSN, or RDS, or an over-the-top streaming subscription to services like TSN or RDS, or DAZN. However, there might be an exception for the 2023 edition, which we will explain shortly.

Although CTV (and NTV) broadcasts freely over-the-air in several major Canadian cities, CTV only allows live streaming access to its linear channels for subscribers of participating TV providers. NTV's online stream generally features local programming from Newfoundland and Labrador. In other words, if you don't have a cable, satellite, or fiber-based TV service subscription, there is no authorized way to stream CTV for free.

If you do not have a TV service subscription, the following authorized streaming options are available (prices are in Canadian dollars before applicable sales taxes):

• TSN – A new direct-to-consumer service offered by TSN, similar to American ESPN, providing a "data-enhanced" feed of the game broadcast with additional graphics. The service is currently offered as a limited-time free preview by providing an email address.
• TSN (formerly TSN Direct) – TSN's over-the-top streaming equivalent of its cable TV offering, priced at $19.99 per month or $199.90 per year billed annually. The game can be watched live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, or TSN5. The day pass option has been discontinued since late 2022.
• RDS (previously RDS Direct) – The French-language streaming service for TSN's sister network, Le Réseau des Sports (RDS). Prices are the same as TSN's direct-to-consumer service, and it only offers live coverage in French.
• DAZN – An international sports streaming service that holds the Canadian rights to NFL Game Pass, which includes live and archived access to all NFL games, including the Super Bowl. The minimum subscription length is $24.99 for one month, and an annual subscription option is available for $199.99.

Please note that international broadcasters like Fox do not have the rights to stream the game in Canada, as those rights belong to Bell Media (parent company of CTV, TSN, and RDS) as well as DAZN. The Fox and Fox Sports apps are not available in Canada, and you cannot stream the game in Canada through their websites.

We acknowledge the existence of alternative methods, not authorized by the NFL, that may be used to stream the game. However, we cannot guarantee their reliability, and any utilization of such methods will be solely at your own risk.

Are there any alternative ways to watch the Super Bowl for free in Canada?

Once again, CTV (and NTV) can be accessed for free via over-the-air channels in numerous cities across Canada, provided you have a digital-capable television and the appropriate antenna setup. You can consult RabbitEars.info for a comprehensive list of over-the-air stations serving your market (Canadian markets are listed starting from number 901 on this platform).

Under certain circumstances, it may even be possible to receive the signal of a Fox affiliate from the United States. However, this would require either close proximity to an American market, such as Windsor, Ontario, which borders Detroit, or the use of a more powerful antenna to capture signals from stations located further away. For instance, some residents of Toronto have managed to access broadcasts from Buffalo-based stations.

Can I watch the American Super Bowl commercials in Canada?

The Super Bowl is renowned for its lavish and original advertisements aired throughout the game, but predominantly in the United States. However, Canadians seeking to view these ads will need to turn to alternative online sources.

If you tune in to a Fox station through a cable or satellite provider in most parts of the country, you will instead be shown the CTV feed, including the network's commercials. This is due to the simultaneous substitution policy enforced by the CRTC, Canada's telecommunications regulator. The policy, often referred to as "simsub", ensures that CTV/TSN has sold advertising time to its own sponsors. While a few advertisers may purchase airtime on both Fox and CTV broadcasts, the majority of commercials will differ.

If you were aware of the CRTC's prohibition of simsubs for the Super Bowl, you are correct. The practice was banned for the games in 2017, 2018, and 2019. However, the ban was subsequently overturned in late 2019 by the Supreme Court of Canada, following a legal challenge from Bell Canada, the parent company of CTV. The court ruled that the CRTC had exceeded its jurisdiction by imposing the ban. Even if the decision had gone the other way, the new NAFTA trade deal, which came into effect in July 2020, included a provision instructing the CRTC to revoke the ban.

Consequently, simsubs have been reinstated for the Super Bowl since the 2020 event, and it is highly unlikely that the CRTC will attempt a similar action in the near future, unless it involves completely discontinuing the simsub policy, which would create other complications for the Canadian TV industry.

There are two ways to bypass the simsub policy:

• If, as outlined in the previous section, you can receive a Fox affiliate's broadcast signal through an antenna, you will be able to watch the game broadcast along with all of Fox's advertisements. This is because simsubs cannot be applied to broadcast signals transmitted over the airwaves.
• In certain cases, some cable operators are not bound to apply simsubs. This applies either to very small operators with fewer than 2,000 subscribers or to networks that do not broadcast over-the-air in the region requesting the simsub. In such scenarios, you may have the opportunity to watch the complete Fox signal, including advertisements, through your cable provider. However, this only pertains to a limited number of Canadians.

The positive news is that there are multiple online platforms that offer access to these advertisements worldwide. Although there are various sources that compile these ads, our most reliable recommendation is YouTube's AdBlitz channel. However, you may also want to explore resources like the USA Today Ad Meter website, and in previous years, even the NFL's official website dedicated a section to Super Bowl ads.

While CTV is responsible for requesting simsubs for Fox affiliate signals, they are not accountable for the technical process of signal substitution. Each TV service provider, such as Rogers, Shaw, Bell, Telus, Vidéotron, or Cogeco, handles this process independently.

If you encounter any issues where the simsub does not conclude at the appropriate time or if you are watching the wrong program entirely, please contact your service provider directly.

If the issue is not promptly resolved by the provider, you can consider submitting a complaint about the simsub to the CRTC. However, please note that (in our opinion) there is no point in filing complaints solely regarding the absence of American ads, as the commission is well aware that this is a source of irritation for Canadian viewers. There was an attempt to modify the rule specifically for 2017, but it was ultimately overturned by the courts.

What Will Air After the Game?

This year, both CTV and Fox will broadcast the same program after the game and trophy presentations: the second season premiere of Next Level Chef, Fox's cooking reality competition series hosted by renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, which debuted in 2022. This arrangement allows CTV to continue providing simsub for Fox until after 11:00 p.m. Eastern time.

In the past, the Canadian network airing the game did not always have the rights to the post-game program scheduled by the American network. Consequently, the two networks sometimes diverged shortly after the conclusion of the game. However, this time there is no risk of that happening.

If you tune in to TSN, you can expect them to broadcast most of Fox's postgame coverage before transitioning to their own SportsCentre postgame coverage, helmed by Jay Onrait, as per their schedule.

Notable Modifications

This article undergoes thorough revisions and is republished annually to reflect the latest edition of the Super Bowl.

Important Dates for Super Bowl Coverage:

- February 7, 2023: This article has been revised and republished to provide updated information for Super Bowl LVII.

- February 11, 2022: The original version of this article was published in anticipation of Super Bowl LVI.

Important Note: We would like to remind you that Where Can I Watch, the website you are currently on, is an independent and impartial platform. We are not associated with any broadcasters or event organizers. If you have any concerns regarding the Super Bowl broadcast in Canada, please feel free to reach out to the following entities:

- CTV: You can contact CTV directly if you have any inquiries.

- Your TV service provider: They can also assist you with any queries related to the Super Bowl coverage.

- NFL: For any concerns regarding the NFL's involvement, you can contact them.

- CRTC: If you have any questions or issues regarding broadcasting regulations, please reach out to the CRTC.

Unfortunately, we are unable to address any specific coverage problems or individual issues you may encounter. However, we can guide you to the appropriate contact information for further assistance.