Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have teamed up off the field for a T-Mobile Super Bowl commercial that apparently won’t air during the big game.
The hilarious commercial shows how Brady and Gronkowski ended up together in Tampa Bay after some miscommunication due to poor reception from their mobile carrier.
According to T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert, the ad was supposed to run during Sunday’s Super Bowl but has been blocked because of a “protected rights deal” with the game’s official telecom sponsor, Verizon.
Here it is! Our spot that was BANNED from the big game. Good, right??
I mean why would their “telco sponsor” not want you to see this!!? 🤔😅 #TheGOATin5G pic.twitter.com/923IlYQgAF
— Mike Sievert (@MikeSievert) February 5, 2021
“Banned” may be a little misleading and clever marketing by T-Mobile. The actual reason the ad will likely not air is because Verizon paid extra for exclusive rights to air their Super Bowl ad on Sunday.
Sigh. It's "banned" because Verizon, not T-Mobile, is the NFL's official telecoms sponsor. There's no mystery or controversy there.
Funny spot, though. https://t.co/8MZCOH8ecU
— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) February 5, 2021
Saying it was “banned” is a little excessive. Their competitor likely has category exclusivity built into their sponsorship. If T-Mobile was a major sponsor, it would be the same for their competitor. Wouldn’t be surprised if they made the spot knowing it couldn’t air on network. https://t.co/wuLBAXUSwN
— Alexandra Ender (@AlexandraLEnder) February 5, 2021