The NFL is one of the most successful businesses in American history. It will surely be studied in generations to come by business students all over. And because of their success and the huge contracts CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN have signed to have the rights to televise games, advertising is a big part of each broadcast. But is there anything more annoying than a 2 minute commercial break after a touchdown followed by a kickoff and then another immediate commercial break. This is a staple of every NFL game that only stops late in 4th quarters to make sure games dont go too long. When watching a game it isnt uncommon to see a touchdown, full commercial break, kick off, full commercial break, a couple of plays before an injury, full commercial break, a couple of more plays before the end of the quarter, full commercial break, a couple of more plays, a punt, and another full commercial break. While this may seem exaggerated, excessive commercial breaks occur all the time in the NFL. College football games last quite a bit longer than NFL games, but that is because the clock stops after every first down and halftime is 18 minutes instead of the NFL's 12 minutes. If the NFL planned commercials similarly to the NCAA, games would last 2 and a half hours instead of 3+ hours.
Of course imminent change is extremely unlikely because the NFL's popularity continues to soar, but games can become extremely boring due to excessive television timeouts. The only way to fix this would be to create more in game advertising that didnt ruin the product on the field or how it was viewed. While this may seem impossible, advertising companies are exploring this option in all areas of television (not just sports) because of the invention of TIVO, which greatly reduces the number of commercials the average viewer sees.
Lets hope the NFL addresses this in the near future.
TV, and sports, just like life, paying bills is a necessary evil. A new approach is needed. What's more aggravatingto me is the repetition. I get tired of Peyton Manning trying to throw a pass to Marvin Harrison surrounded by sharks 20 times during a game broadcast, and the sarcastic old man who does the DirectTV spots needs to just go away.
I remember nearly 25 years ago Andy Rooney ####ing about 21 commercial breaks during a CBS broadcasted NFL game. Yes, the bills need to be paid (so much so a family can't afford to go to a live game).
What gets me though is the pressure by the NFL on cable companies to broadcast their seasonal network for a godly sum and expect the cable providers not to pass the cost onto the subscriber. Foo the NFL and damn them for the Nov. 29th game.
I find it every bit as interesting, and NO COMMERCIALS....So which do you dislike more, the commercials, or the fact you don't have the self-control to not FF the TiVo?????
Im a diehard sports fan. My favorite teams are the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bearcats and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers and I enjoy making fun of the city of Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs.
Im a diehard sports fan. My favorite teams are the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bearcats and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I hate the Pittsburgh Steelers and I enjoy making fun of the city of Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs.
