Canadian Tate McRae draws backlash for NBC Olympics ad cheering on Team USA

One of Calgary's hometown heroes is now facing backlash after she appeared in an ad promoting NBC and Team U.S.A. ahead of the Olympics.

More than a few Canadians are upset with Calgary’s Tate McRae after the pop superstar filmed a TV commercial promoting NBC and Team USA.

McRae appears in the commercial on skis outside Cortina, Italy which is co-hosting the Winter Olympics with Milan.

In the commercial, McRae chats up a pair of Italian-speaking owls, explaining that she’s trying to get to Milan to meet Team USA and watch America’s best skating for gold, as well as skier Lindsay Vonn’s epic comeback.

“Then, back to the States for the Big Game,” she says. “Super Bowl 60!”

The ad has generated controversy online as Canadians have reacted to it as a betrayal of McRae’s Canadian roots.

The singer grew up in Calgary and attended Western Canada High School.

On McRae’s Instagram page, @serenasned posted, “Girl, we are Canadian, we do NOT cheer for team USA at winter sports, especially during times like these!!!#

Another posted: “Girl I love you but you’re Canadian though? What about us lol.”

Sports journalist Jordan Cicchelli posted on her X feed: “Tate McRae doing a promo for NBC and Team USA for the Olympics and not Canada has me a bit sad but okay.”

Another fan posted on Cicchelli’s social media feed: “Tate is chasing the dolla bills.”

Others speculated that McRae’s loyalties have shifted now that she is dating New Jersey Devil star Jack Hughes, who is on Team USA.

Although Cicchelli pushed back on that, saying “Mine too and it’s Canada everyday.”

American media outlet TMZ.com weighed in with a story with the headline “Catching Heat for Team USA promo...Aren’t You Canadian?”

“Tate McRae is basically the Canadian Benedict Arnold in some fans’ eyes this week ... after the pop star dropped a promo hyping up Team USA in the Olympics -- despite hailing from the North," TMZ posted, under a doctored photo of McRae waving a tiny Canadian flag with the title “Team USA” superimposed over it.

Mount Royal University marketing professor David Finch said McRae made a questionable decision.

“It’s absolutely tone deaf to place herself in there and not have any recognition (that) she’s Canadian, which is just an odd choice,” Finch said.

He also questioned NBC’s choice to go with McRae as the cheerleader for Team USA.

“You’re telling me you couldn’t find an American pop star to do a similar commercial?” he asked.

“There’s no winners in this situation,” Finch added. “That’s the unfortunate element of it for Tate McRae. She just may have not connected the dots, but that’s why she would have advisors to suggest this is probably not a play at this stage (of U.S.-Canada relations).

“But it makes an interesting commentary for sure,” he said.

Virgin Radio host Blair Gaboury said Calgary fans were taking McRae’s ad personally,

“People are pointing out that it’s kind of a bad time,” Gaboury said. “Like, is this really the best decision in such troubling times? I think a lot of people are almost taking it like a line drawn in the sand in a sense. And that’s why people are so upset.”

That said, Gaboury said the station isn’t giving up on McRae, who is still a Flames fan.

“We are trying to support her,” Gaboury said. “We just need her to give us something.”

Late Wednesday, McRae responded to the backlash by posting a throwback photo of herself holding a Canadian flag, saying “Y’all know I’m Canada down.”

With files from CTV’s Timm Bruch