Why aren't there commercials in overtime?

[CuriousGeorge]

Not saying it's bad for us, as fans, but curious why aren't there commercials in overtime? I have been watching hockey for 10 years, so wondering has this always been the case or were there commercials before?

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[kingsholygrail]

Part of the broadcasting contract I imagine.

 

[PensPlz]

The only "break" they take in OT is when they clear the ice at 10 minutes.

If there were commercials, that would allow players to have a break.

 

[Engineer]

The better question is why is there ice maintenance after the first 10m whistle even if it is on an icing call

 

[nbwingsfan]

Tough to sell ad time when that time likely won't be there. Although I suppose it could be packaged as free bonus spots to long term/big spending clients if they chose to.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Advertisers won't fork over money for something that isn't a guarantee. Most there would be is an OT sponsor. Something like, "Overtime in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is brought to you by Ford."

Also, it can help speed the game up. If there were commercial breaks in OT, you'd run the risk of going even later into the night.

 

[mnwild*]

Yeah I'm super upset that I don't get to watch more Toyota commercials also.

 

[SotasicA]

They want to get the game over quickly. Besides advertisers already got their ads in during regulation time.

 

[Lempo]

Tough to sell ad time when that time likely won't be there. Although I suppose it could be packaged as free bonus spots to long term/big spending clients if they chose to.

They're probs very adversial to giving anything free, especially when it might encourage the advertiser to cut back the paid advertising according to the expected odds of there being an overtime. Though, advertising is starting to be the kind of exact science as much as psychology can be so maybe leaving it up for chance would potentially ruin the ad strategy. The return for the money used shouldn't be a surprise.

The other, maybe more pressing reason is that when it goes to overtime the broadcast crew is making it up as they go without a map, and commercial break would be an extra moving part in the equation. It would also be a tad anticlimactic if there was a three minute commercial break from the action and then they returned to the game just to see it end to a goal the very next shift.

You as a viewer may also get a very negative association to a product that chooses to push itself into your face at 76:28 of a Game Seven.

 

[Syek]

Advertisers only pay for 60 minutes of hockey.
After that, the network executives would never broadcast "free" commercials.

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

I get that they can't sell advertisers on airtime that may not exist, but still...some of us have to pee...they could still air public service announcements or network promos.

 

[End of Line]

Can't buy ads for unplanned air time.

 

[g00n]

Can't buy ads for unplanned air time.

Sure you could. It'd just be on a flex contract with an existing advertiser where you agree to pay for up to x commercials at y dollars per, IF they go to OT.

The real reason probably has to do with the fact that OT hockey is not part of the normal programming day and always encroaches on some other shows and stopping the game to run commercials just causes further delays, which runs out OTHER paid ads.