Two Republican senators are calling on Super Bowl host CBS to remove an ad from its lineup for Sunday’s big game because of the buyer’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In a letter to the presidents of CBS and its parent company Paramount Global, Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas and Senator Mike Braun of Indiana asked the Super Bowl host to remove the more than $6 billion ad bought by Temu, a Chinese-owned company supported online marketplace.
Lawmakers then condemned the company that posted the ad for its ties to China and forced labor practices.
It is the second year in a row that Temu places an advertisement during the Super Bowl. Last year, their ad went viral after a catchy jingle.
Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas is on Sunday, February 11. More than 110 million people from around the world are expected to tune in to the game.
“Americans are tuning in for a Chiefs win and Travis and Taylor – keep the CCP out of football,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
Senator Roger Marshall wears the Kansas City Chiefs jersey as he speaks on Capitol Hill
Taylor Swift completely trusts Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs star makes her feel “safe.”
Swift and Kelce’s relationship has only gotten stronger since she first showed up at one of his NFL games in September.
“Unfortunately, CBS is taking millions of dollars from CCP-backed companies that want to advertise on one of Americans’ favorite days: Super Bowl Sunday.”
“CBS and Paramount should not be in the business of promoting CCP affiliates that consistently violate U.S. laws, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA),” the lawmakers wrote.
“In addition to Temu’s poor track record, the company’s China-based parent company, Pinduoduo (PDD), was this week named to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets List for the sixth consecutive year,” Marshall and Braun continued.
‘PDD is known for the theft of intellectual property, copyright piracy and the sale of counterfeit goods.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to CBS and Paramount Global for comment.
This would be the second year in a row that Super Bowl viewers have seen an ad from the Chinese-backed online retail company.
The company, which launched in 2022, ran an ad several times during last year’s big competition. It quickly became the most downloaded app on Apple and Google in the following weeks.
‘The prices surprise me. I feel so rich. I feel like a billionaire. I shop like a billionaire,” the ad’s catchy jingle read. This year, the company also reportedly plans to hand out $10 billion in giveaways.
Temu was determined to buy multiple ad units during the upcoming Super Bowl, the Wall Street Journal reported in November.
The average cost of a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl on CBS is about $7 million.
“By running the TEMU ad, CBS is promoting a company known for exploiting Uighur slave labor for its products,” Marshall told DailyMail.com.
“When viewers see TEMU’s ad, they should understand who is really behind this company and their unethical business practices that violate federal law,” Marshall added.”
Senator Mike Braun joined Marshall in calling on CBS to withdraw the Temu Super Bowl ad
Marshall this week for the first time called on CBS to remove an ad from China-backed Temu in a post on X
More than 110 million people are expected to tune in to watch Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers
Temu is an online marketplace operated by Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings (file)
Last year, the House Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party released findings from an investigation into fast fashion brands Temu and Shein, with the committee chairman saying Temu “did almost nothing to keep its supply chains free of slave labor.”
The committee found that Temu did not conduct audits or reports to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Force Labor Prevention Act.
It also stated that the only measure Temu has reportedly taken to ensure it does not ship goods produced in violation of US law is for its suppliers to agree to “standard terms” that prohibit the use of forced labor.