Wanna see the U.S ads during the Super Bowl?

Okay, we admit it.

Some of us here at SooToday.com are as interested in the art of persuasion as we are in football.

And much as we like watching the Super Bowl, we also enjoy watching those insanely expensive television spots during the game.

Except that we often don't get to see the big-bucks American ads because stupid Canadian cable operators run other ads in their place.

Today, we did a little end-zone dance when we got this announcement from AOL Canada Inc:

************************* Media Alert: Super Bowl Surfing - AOL.ca to showcase American Super Bowl ads during game Canadians combine TV and web surfing for maximum Super Bowl experience

TORONTO, Jan. 31 - Forget the tackles, rushes and touchdown passes - we all know that many people will tune in to the big game this Sunday just to see some of the year's hottest, most hyped and most expensive advertisements.

And while Canadians continue to be left out of this time-honoured television tradition due to simulcasting, AOL Canada is changing the Super Bowl experience by airing the US ads online during the Super Bowl and encouraging Canadians to vote for their favourite.

WHAT: American Super Bowl ads broadcast to Canadians during the big game (immediately after television airing). Canadians can watch and vote for their favourite Super Bowl ads online. Exclusive online destination to watch all Super Bowl ads in one place, as well as game coverage with up-to-the minute game commentary, player profiles and discussion boards.

WHERE/ WHEN: www.aol.ca/superbowl. Live during Super Bowl XLI, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, archived for two weeks.

More to think about

Going online while watching TV is far from a novel phenomenon. According to BIGresearch, more than 70 percent of web users say they watch TV and surf the net at the same time.

- In 2006, AOL visitors streamed Super Bowl ads more than 17 million times.

- A 30-second ad in this year's Super Bowl will cost US$2.6 million dollars. This ad spend will go beyond TV, as many viewers will watch commercials online during or after the game. (Source: TNS Media Intelligence) - Last year, AOL visitors cast more than 424,000 votes for their favourite Super Bowl ad. The winner was Budweiser's "Streaker" spot, with 13 percent of the votes. - Anheuser-Busch has placed ads in 20 Super Bowls throughout history. That means they've spent more than US$250 million on Super Bowl ads alone. (Source: TNS Media Intelligence) - According to the National Football League, 141.4 million people watched at least part of last year's Super Bowl. That accounts for about 4.5 times the population of Canada.

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