Super Bowl ad loophole closed as Global moves to HD NFL

TORONTO – As first reported here last week, CanWest Global has made official its plans to offer the National Football League in high definition.

The Global Television Network will offer the NFL late afternoon game (Pittsburgh at Dallas, 4:15 p.m.) this Sunday, October 17 in HDTV.

The game will be available nationally on ExpressVu on channel 801 and regionally in Ontario on Rogers on channel 286.

Global also said it will broadcast the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl in HDTV, eliminating the little regulatory loophole enjoyed by HDTV customers who had been able to view the slate of American commercials unfettered.

With Global moving to HD, cable and satellite operators are now obliged to simultaneously substitute the Canadian digital signal over the American feed.