I was fortunate to be able to photograph a playoff game last week between our L.A. Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs. The first quarter seemed so fast-paced and frantic. Like it was over in a flash. On the other hand, the second quarter and the whole second half dragged on endlessly.
The next day, I got on the internet and found a report showing the number of television commercial breaks during the game. There were two commercial breaks during the first quarter of six and three minutes–totaling nine minutes. In the second quarter, though, there had been three breaks of nine, six and three minutes–for a total of 18 minutes.
Another Geico Commercial
I wasn’t crazy. The second quarter did seem longer. It was longer. The second half of the game had the same number of commercial breaks as the first, probably a few more in the closing minutes of this hotly-contested game.
More Commercials Than Game
When you add up the commercial breaks: There was almost an hour’s worth of commercials compared to the 48-minutes of actual playing time. Long-time sports commentator Chris Sheridan, in talking about how playoff games go on and on, put it into perceptive. He pointed out that these numerous commercial breaks were changing the natural flow of the game robbing the home fans of the game experience, because the game was being chopped up by the commercial breaks into smaller three- or four-minute bursts of play.
Let It Flow
When the commercial aspect of televising a game becomes more important than actually experiencing the event live, something needs to change. It’s time for the National Basketball Assn. to rethink its priorities by once again putting the fans’ game experience ahead of its television advertisers. Will the NBA have the guts to restore the natural flow of the game by spacing the highly lucrative commercial breaks further apart?
Embracing Technology
At least home viewers have the technological option of fast-forwarding through these dreaded commercials. At the game, fans must sit through some of the craziest basketball-themed circus acts the owners bring in to entertain the arena crowd while the league’s broadcast affiliates are raking in the money.
I’ve noticed that World Soccer telecasts don’t have so many commercial breaks. The networks raise revenues by selling the advertising space at the bottom of the screen, so their teams can play the 45 minute-long halves uninterrupted.
Hi-yo Silver, Away
Major League Baseball also is more concerned with the fan experience at the ballpark. They are experimenting this season with new rules to speed up the game. Will Adam Silver, the new NBA commissioner, try to address this plague of commercials? Or have television advertisers already gained too much power over the game? Are the players and owners so addicted to receiving their negotiated cut of the almighty advertising dollar to want to change anything? Is the NBA even worried about restoring the game’s natural tempo and flow?
Fan Appreciation?
Call me cynical. But, it makes me wonder about real reasons behind why these professional franchises might want to speed up their games. If their efforts are successful, will it be to enhance the paying fan’s experience at the game? Or will it be done just to make a bit more room so they can squeeze in another one or two more of those lucrative commercial spots into their telecasts?
Only time will tell.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
