Tubi’s “Interface Interruption” ad had viewers screaming at their TVs.

One of the biggest draws of the annual Super Bowl, aside from the actual game, is the commercials. Companies pull out all the stops to create the weirdest, wildest commercials they can to properly ingratiate themselves in viewers’ memories even after the game is over. One of these ads was rather diabolical in its execution, and it worked, more or less.

During a break in the game, as the hosts of the Super Bowl appeared to be providing some color commentary, a smart TV interface appeared at the bottom of the screen, switching the feed over to the streaming app Tubi and putting on the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This was a deliberate ploy by Tubi to make it look like the viewers’ feed had been interrupted, due to someone taking control of the TV or sitting on the remote, before flashing their logo at the end and returning to the normal feed with nothing missed.

Clever as this ad was in making people conscious of Tubi, some viewers had a bit of an adverse reaction. Multiple users on various social platforms who were watching the game with family and friends said that every involved began panicking, trying to figure out who had the remote and restore the game feed.

Alright who else fell for it? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/cpzt2vqw5L

— Tubi (@Tubi) February 13, 2023

“My whole family broke out blaming each other for sitting on the remote,” YouTube user LarkspurCreates said on Tubi’s official post of the ad. “My dad said my brother was but really it was the ad. My dad was also very clearly holding the remote. We all said that we hated Tubi after seeing this ad. I’m still dying of laughter inside.”

“That tubi commercial definitely made me start a fight with my husband,” pro softball player Haley Cruse Mitchell said on Twitter.