- NBCUniversal will air a commercial-free fourth quarter during an upcoming NFL broadcast, the first ever for the professional football league and a piece of the network’s budding experiments with its Peacock streaming service, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- Instead of conventional ad breaks, the ultimate stretch of the game between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday (Dec. 23) will give attention to just three sponsors: Capital One, Hyundai and Walmart. An announcement at the highest of the quarter will acknowledge the brands for enabling the commercial-free experience, which is an element of Peacock’s first exclusive NFL game.
- The participating sponsors are profiting from different formats, including content takeovers and integrations into updates from the “Football Night in America” studio. NBCUniversal said the change will reduce the published’s ad load by 40%, opening 12 minutes of additional game-related content.
NBCUniversal is trying to deliver a commercial-free closeout to its Peacock Holiday Exclusive game, albeit one which won’t be entirely brand-free. Rather than running a slate of ads in dedicated breaks as usual, the published’s fourth quarter will showcase a smaller choice of sponsors in ways in which go beyond the everyday 30-second spot. The strategy could appeal to younger fans who’ve cut the cord on linear TV and like streaming channels to stay awake so far with sports.
“The power of live sports is more prevalent than ever, and at NBCUniversal, we not only have the dimensions of our broadcast platform, but we now can reach a completely recent audience through Peacock,” said Mark Marshall, chairman of world promoting and partnerships at NBCUniversal, in a press statement. “With this one-of-a-kind sponsorship environment attached to our first-ever exclusive Peacock NFL game, we’re in a position to connect an untapped set of consumers to our marketers, and we couldn’t be more grateful to our partners on the NFL for trusting us to creatively launch this groundbreaking format.”
While the commercial-free test is restricted, it could herald greater shifts as more live sports make the jump to streaming. The approach may be a less taxing option to reach viewers who’re accustomed to seeing games always broken up by repetitive brand messages. Pro football is especially egregious when contrasting the length of broadcasts versus how much time is definitely spent watching the on-field motion.
Those tuning into Saturday’s game will be made aware of the changes at the highest of the fourth quarter through a branded announcement. Capital One, Hyundai and Walmart will then crop up in content takeovers and as a part of other game features, including updates and evaluation.
Walmart within the lead-up to the second quarter is moreover sponsoring NBCUniversal’s first shoppable integration attached to the NFL with a placement that will feature a QR code linking out to the big-box store’s holiday hub. The retailer also teamed with NBCUniversal’s Creative Partnerships on a custom spot with “Football Night in America” analysts Chris Simms and Devin McCourty sharing last-minute gifting ideas.
The commercial-free experience could set the stage for future Peacock broadcasts. The platform, an increasingly key a part of NBCUniversal’s strategy, will air the NFL’s first playoff game exclusive to streaming in January.
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