OT: The commercials
When I was a kid, there were local hockey broadcasts (on a UHF channel no less). And at that time the game continued without any schedule changes. It was on the director to slip in the required number of commercials without missing action. So what you got were more frequent interruptions, but it was one commercial at a time, in this particular case they almost always took advantage of an icing. They could generally get the 30 second spot in before the refs got to the face off.
It seems to me, football, is much easier to do this with: slip in a spot at each change of possession and just keep rolling, no need for entire ad blocks.
I'm not sure if it would annoy me more to have constant frequent ads or not, but I think that approach would be better. I accept that the ads are the reason I can watch the game on the cheap but please do something that makes the experience better both at home and at the stadium.
Any other solutions out there?
October 21st, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
I appreciate the question, but the monstrous media contracts are the problem. There is no incentive to reduce ad blocks or their frequency.
Other solutions that would not be palatable but viable: ads blanketing uniforms (a la Nascar), charging a per-view price, raising ticket prices even further.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:41 PM ^
Yeah, this is the thing right here. I always laugh about fans bragging about the huge payouts the schools get. Congrats, the team gets a 3rd practice facility and an even bigger weight room and fans get...score, commercial, kickoff, commercial, play, injury, commercial, play, play, punt, commercial. Games are borderline unwatchable live at this point and these new contracts are only going to make it all worse, but hey, schools can make the locker rooms even bigger now!!!!!
October 21st, 2022 at 4:50 PM ^
everyone gets their own Barca lounger and TV in their locker, and a water proof iPad for the ice bath
October 21st, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
"There is no incentive to reduce ad blocks or their frequency."
They must know what percentage of people are recording games and fast forwarding through all of them. I gotta think that number is steadily creeping up. I haven't sat through a live, non-Michigan game in years. Even the Michigan games recently I've been watching on delay.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:11 PM ^
Though I don’t know if it’s possible, I feel like it’s up to the B1G to get the number of commercials under control. They need to stipulate during the bidding process that they’ll only allow an X number of stoppages per game, with an X time limit.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:18 PM ^
You think the B1G cares much about what we, as fans, think? As long as they get the screens tuned in and coaches/AD's/Players don't complain about the Media TO's, they will continue to accept the biggest offer without thinking twice.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:44 PM ^
They won't care until the number of commercials makes the game unwatchable and people stop tuning in. Where is that breaking point?
October 21st, 2022 at 5:28 PM ^
Answer: Not on the horizon. Great question but the answer is obvious; not at this time.
October 21st, 2022 at 4:03 PM ^
Yeah - the Big Ten (and all the other conferences too) have unfortunately thrown their hands up in the air and taken on a “it’s not our fault, what do you want us to do, it’s the networks that are inserting 35 breaks into every game and they have the right to do so per the TV contracts” attitude.
Of course, the Big Ten could push back during the TV contract negotiations if they were so inclined. But they are not inclined to do so. That is the power of hundreds of millions of dollar bills. Is it what it is.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:41 PM ^
I've always thought that BTN (or perhaps Peacock) has an opportunity here to throw down a gauntlet for a game "with limited commercial interruptions." Make up $ with a mega-sponsor and in-game overlay ads.
I mean, how many people are really going to tune in to watch Indiana-Rutgers this weekend? But if there it's presented "with limited commercial interruptions by Dr. Pepper," fans might get locked in to watch a few drives in a row and start caring about the game. Also, you might be in the 4th quarter by 1:30, so if the game is close, it's got no direct competition.
October 21st, 2022 at 6:14 PM ^
This is potentially brilliant - use streaming and incentivize a different advertising structure to get fans to tune in and pay for it
October 21st, 2022 at 3:17 PM ^
I know for mens CBB, there are preconfigured times when they will cut to commercial (first stoppage after 16', 12', 8', and 4' left in the half). Does anyone know how that structure came about -- is that mandated by the NCAA, or standard language in existing media rights contracts?
I would like to imagine something similar happening for football someday, but probably not when the B1G is getting a bajillion dollars a year.
October 21st, 2022 at 4:13 PM ^
For basketball, the media timeout structure is dictated by the NCAA. Rule 5-14.10
Why the NCAA doesn't mandate for football? I have a hypothesis.
For basketball, the Big Ten (and other conferences too) schools make more $$$ off of NCAA tournament distributions than they do the conference TV contract. For football, the $$$ is all coming from the conference TV contract.
Net: the NCAA has more power as regards TV and basketball (as they themselves are the one negotiating the media rights for March Madness - and the media timeout structure laid out in their contract with CBS/Turner sort of becomes the "de facto" structure for the regular season too), and basically no power as regards TV and football.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^
If we were in an either/or world, I'd support ads on jerseys. The problem is, we all know this would be done in addition to the 1.5 hours of ad breaks we already get
October 21st, 2022 at 8:07 PM ^
Ads on uniforms have nothing to do with the amount of TV advertising. I don't know why people suggest it as a solution. All European pro team sports have ads on uniforms, no matter how few (soccer) or many (basketball) breaks in the action there are. It's just something they do.
In most cases, the amount of revenue generated by jersey ads isn't that much. TV revenue remains far larger.
October 21st, 2022 at 3:25 PM ^
If it will reduce the number and length of commercial breaks, I am all for the inset/Picture-in-Picture type of ads that they already use for some events as long as I don't miss any action.
This is the thing where there may be a lull in the action, but not long enough for a full block of commercials, so they shrink the main picture and put an ad/ads around it.
October 21st, 2022 at 4:06 PM ^
In general I think the biggest issues with commercials are:
- length of game
- breaking up play when watching from home
- extended down time when watching at the stadium
To address the length of game issue, you either have to have a lower quantity of commercials or shorter duration commercials. I'm assuming the networks are not going to budge on having fewer commercials, so the only real option is to have shorter commercials.
Many have complained about the TD, commercial, XP, commercial, kickoff, commercial, start a drive pattern. The only real solution to this is to move to the split screen commercial option while these types of plays are taking place so the game can continue progressing. I think Fox has already started doing this. If something happens during the XP they can always go to a full screen replay after the kickoff while the offense is taking the field.
I'd be in favor of having shorter commercials which overlay the game when transitional things are happening with full commercial breaks during changes of possession or replay reviews. This keeps the game moving for the people in the stadium, allows TV viewers to still see what is taking place, and allows for the same number of commercials.
I would then regulate all remaining full commercial breaks to change of possession, time-outs, replay review, and end of quarters.
October 21st, 2022 at 5:24 PM ^
Your split screen idea is good. NASCAR does it in the latter stages of the race, if there are no cautions or slowdown because of it, but that's apples and oranges compared to a football game.
All of your comments/ideas are good, too good and too logical. The network execs and producers just don't see it that way. A massive drop in viewers (TV ratings) would be the only way for those folks to come to their senses.
October 21st, 2022 at 4:10 PM ^
I ignore the commercials, mute the sound, and use the time for a trip to the restroom, refresh my drink or check other scores. Screw them.
October 21st, 2022 at 7:45 PM ^
Yeah, I watch on a slight delay to fast forward. It also keeps me from forums where people tend to lose their shit watching live.
October 21st, 2022 at 4:28 PM ^
I wonder if they could squeeze the extra ads in during a 30 minute halftime, like the bowl games. I would like to see them try a split screen during timeouts with commercials on one side and whatever is going on at the stadium on the other side. Maybe the mind would be tricked into thinking the commercial breaks are shorter.
October 21st, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
Why do I have to have the 30 second DTE commercial about how they are trimming trees EVERY effing time I want to watch something on YouTube?!?!
October 21st, 2022 at 5:17 PM ^
Because they (DTE) paid for that ad. DTE thinks it makes them look good by being so responsible. It's all about their image.
October 21st, 2022 at 10:41 PM ^
Because if they annoy the shit out of you they can be reasonably sure you will post your annoyance on some message board and, bingo, free advertising!
October 21st, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
WE’RE STRENGTHENING THE GRID!
October 21st, 2022 at 5:15 PM ^
Follow the money ($$$$$). The more eyeballs watching CFB, the more the networks can charge for the ads running. Case in point: The Super Bowl. While that is only an annual event, there are big bucks in the event. The evolution of collegiate football with all of the fans, the bands, the school colors and what was the innocence of the sport and then the match-ups draws the TV viewers.
The TV packages are now astronomical due to expansion but the point is, the networks will not only load up on commercials but run a lot of TV programming spots as well. These TV timeouts are getting longer. They keep adding one more promo for a TV program and another 15 or 30 sec ad.
Solutions: there are none. College TV football will have to peak and then decline before there are less ads and promos and that is not in cards right now. Things could change in 4 or 5 years with how conference expansion goes and if the 12 team playoff system were to backfire.
Maybe the NFL is at it's peak or just past it (until the playoffs). It seems NASCAR (I know we're not in Charlotte NC) has also peaked with less fans attending and now less night races in the premier Cup Series schedule. Is this a harbinger of thing to come regarding CFB? The test will come in few years with expansion of these super conferences and 12 team playoff series. The money can't get any bigger than what's now on the table for the Big Ten and the networks willing sell out a few billion $$.
October 21st, 2022 at 5:22 PM ^
The number and length of commercial interruptions has already changed my behavior.
I no longer have season football tickets and rarely go to games. I almost never watch a game live--I'm happy to DVR it and watch later while fast forwarding through commercial breaks. It makes a football game a 90 minute time investment.
I've switched my allegiance to college hockey. First of all, Yost Ice Arena. Second, there is ONE media timeout per period. Intermissions are barely long enough to resurface the ice. More than half the duration of the event is actual game action.
October 21st, 2022 at 5:31 PM ^
Somehow soccer has figured out how to air 45-50 minutes straight without commercials, yet (American) football still has 4 commercial breaks per quarter (at 2.5-3 minutes per break, it adds up to almost an hour of commercials per game.
My other major complaint is it is a minor miracle if a game finishes in under 3.5 hours, yet ESPN insists that games only 3 hours. After that 3 hour time block is up, I have to guess which channel that other interesting game was on. FOX is obnoxious with commercials but at least they block off 3.5 hours for a game (and then still go over).
October 21st, 2022 at 5:49 PM ^
I just dvr then fast forward. No commercials since 2002
October 21st, 2022 at 5:59 PM ^
In the future you'll have to pull a slot machine lever in order to watch a play.
October 21st, 2022 at 6:11 PM ^
Solution: drink more beer and use the breaks to pee
October 21st, 2022 at 6:57 PM ^
Like many people, I usually don't start the game until 30 minutes into it. Fast forward through most the first half commercials. The beauty of DVR.
So last Saturday I was lollygagging it and did not start the game until 12:50. Wait....what??? Where's the game? First time ever, DVR glitched and did not record the game.
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind, we've gone too far
Football missed and broke my heart
Put the blame on DVR
October 21st, 2022 at 7:47 PM ^
Maybe get Martha Burk to protest.
Worked for the Masters broadcast.
October 21st, 2022 at 8:02 PM ^
slip in a spot at each change of possession and just keep rolling, no need for entire ad blocks.
They already take a full commercial break at each change of possession.
October 21st, 2022 at 8:20 PM ^
I worked in advertising for 20 years (copywriter) and my stepfather was an ad guy, too. It's so funny to hear people talk about muting or fast forwarding through spots. We actually tried pretty hard to make entertaining commercials. I worked during what i think was the heyday of that, the 90's, the end result being some pretty great beer advertising, among other things. Some clients understood, many didn't and ended up perpetuating exactly what you all are talking about. People don't want to waste their time on boring ads trying to sell them stuff they don't need or want.
October 23rd, 2022 at 10:20 AM ^
Correction, Don Draper, fans don't want to waste their time on ANY ads.
October 21st, 2022 at 9:34 PM ^
i got my weed whacker and mower winterized tonight in like 55 minutes, including the run up to Home Depot.
fastest ever time.
October 22nd, 2022 at 6:20 PM ^
Just ban insurance ads and there is nothing left but faith. I abhor youtube because of the endless commercials or fake zen moments. my current must mute favorite among many is the mayhem dipshit.