What are the benefits of advertising for the television viewers? For the National Football League?

It has been done in the past, and chances are good that it is still being done—stopping professional football games for the insertion of a commercial. Upon learning of this, people have one of at least two possible reactions—one favoring the practice and one condemning it.

A first reaction might well be that no advertiser has the right to stop a sports event. The networks that broadcast these games are to remain uninvolved observers and must not interfere with the progress of the sporting event in any way. A time-out may be called by only three parties—each of the two teams participating in the game and the officials. The idea that a TV director has the right to relay signals to the playing surface as a way to insert a commercial is a corruption of a great national pastime—professional football. The question arises of whether, at some future time, a director could say that the game is too uneven and, as a way to increase viewer interest, the officials should tell one team to let the other score. Or whether, if the Kansas City Chiefs should pass more often, a director could relay instructions to that effect to their coach.

On the other hand, one needs to keep in mind that the television networks have paid millions of dollars for the rights to broadcast football games. The networks knew they could afford to pay for the rights as long as they could sell advertising time to large national sponsors, and to sell time to such sponsors requires plenty of slots for commercials. A part of the agreement between the National Football League and the networks is that there will be sufficient moments in each game for commercials. If the regular flow of the game does not provide enough such moments, then the National Football League has agreed that the networks may stop action.

A further defense of the networks’ action might well be the fact that a successful National Football League is considered by some to be a product of television. Ask older people how much people outside NFL cities knew of professional football before the advent of television. The marriage of TV and professional football has been good for both parties.