A recent NBC Olympics commercial starring Canadian singer Tate McRae faced immediate criticism following its release by the artist and NBC on Wednesday. The ad features McRae in a snowy mountain setting, seeking assistance from an owl to reach Milan for the opening ceremony, where she expresses excitement about Team USA’s prospects in skating for gold and Lindsey Vonn’s comeback, before mentioning the upcoming Super Bowl 60.
The advertisement also promotes McRae’s latest single, “Nobody’s Girl.” The Canadian community expressed disappointment on social media over McRae, a Calgary native, endorsing the American team shortly after being revealed as a top nominee at the upcoming Juno Awards alongside Justin Bieber.
Toronto-based sports content creator Jordan Cicchelli shared sentiments of sadness over McRae’s NBC and Team USA promotion for the Olympics. Meanwhile, Made in Canada, an independent media company, questioned McRae’s decision to support Team USA.
In response to the backlash, McRae shared a childhood photo on Instagram holding a Canadian flag with the caption, “…y’all know I’m Canada down.” The conversation extended to Virgin Radio Toronto’s TikTok account, where hosts Daryn Jones and Deepa Prashad discussed the ad, pondering why McRae was celebrating American athletes instead of Canadian pride.
Some fans viewed the moment as a positive progression in McRae’s career, expressing support for her involvement in promoting the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics. CBC Music has contacted McRae’s team for a response. This situation mirrors a similar reaction in November when British singer Dua Lipa featured in an NBC Olympics ad highlighting American athletes.
