The CBC says it bears no responsibility for the sports gambling commercials on its airwaves during NHL hockey games, and that viewers with objections should take up the matter with the Sportsnet network, which controls the broadcasts and collects all the advertising revenue from them.

That control also gives Sportsnet free rein to air editorial segments that are sponsored by sports betting companies. These segments, featuring Hockey Night in Canada on-air talent, would likely be barred under the CBC’s own advertising standards, which prohibit promotions that create the appearance that editorial content is being influenced by advertisers.

The issue has come to the fore during the NHL playoffs, which have pulled in millions of new viewers who, because they were not watching throughout much of the year, had not noticed the prevalence of the ads.