A recent NBC Olympics advertisement featuring Canadian singer Tate McRae sparked immediate criticism upon its release by the artist and NBC on Wednesday. The ad shows McRae in a wintry setting, seeking assistance from an owl to travel to Milan for the opening ceremony to meet Team USA rather than Team Canada. She highlights the weekend’s events, including America’s top figure skating competition and Lindsey Vonn’s return, followed by the Super Bowl 60. The commercial also promotes McRae’s latest track, “Nobody’s Girl.”
After the ad aired, Canadians expressed disappointment on social media at McRae, who hails from Calgary, endorsing the American team. This backlash came shortly after McRae was announced as a leading nominee at the upcoming Juno Awards, alongside Justin Bieber. Individuals like Toronto-based sports content creator Jordan Cicchelli and media company Made in Canada questioned McRae’s support for Team USA.
McRae responded to the criticism by posting an Instagram story featuring a childhood photo of herself holding a Canadian flag, affirming her Canadian pride. On Virgin Radio Toronto’s TikTok account, hosts Daryn Jones and Deepa Prashad discussed the ad, questioning McRae’s choice to celebrate American athletes instead of Canadian ones. Some fans viewed the ad positively, seeing it as a milestone in McRae’s career.
CBC Music has contacted McRae’s team for a statement. This incident echoes a similar reaction in November when British singer Dua Lipa appeared in an NBC Olympics ad endorsing American athletes.