Did anyone else notice the adverts DURING the France v Ireland game on STV yesterday? I think the scrum collapsed, and whilst the ref was trying to reset it, the picture automatically split into two on my TV and an advert(for TUI I think) came on on one half of the screen. I think this happened once in each half of the game. I have never seen anything like this before, though I rarely watch TV. Is this normal?
6 Nations……adverts??
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It’s a new thing they’re trying out. By which I mean: it’s another step towards the encroaching Americanisation of all sport.
See also this article, in which the FIFA bods try very, very hard not to use the word “quarters”.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/czj0v4d9gn7o
I did read something about it and this was the first ‘trial’ of it. It obviously worked with you as you can’t recall the advert. They had shown it then as there was no game play as the scrum was set up.
From the Guardian.
If the Six Nations experiment is a success, there is a possibility that ITV could sell in-game commercials for its coverage of the World Cup this summer, when all matches there will feature a three-minute water break in the middle of each half to help players to cope with the extreme heat.
You could argue that watching commercials is preferable to endless scrum resets, but it is a slippery slope. Soon we will have sponsors for kicks at goal and other plays, that 50/22 came to you courtesy of Butlins. That cheap head shot from O2.
I saw that happen, came across to me as a jaw dropping interruption to my immersion in the game.
I thought it was f*cking awful.
I agree!
Same here. Even though, technically, nothing was actually happening play-wise when the ad appeared, it spoilt the atmosphere.
However, I couldn’t tell you now what was being advertised, even if my life depended on it. Take that, advertising bods!
This topic, with specific reference to the France v Ireland game, was discussed in a phone-in on Nicky Campbell’s BBC Five Live show this morning. The show started at 9am with this topic commencing just after 10am. One of the questions which arose was that the referee might have been receiving messages via his earpiece telling him to delay the scrum reset while the ad was on screen.
My thoughts exactly.
Probably. See also the commercial break between anthems and kick-off. At least the BBC won’t have this stuff on the dwindling number of games they still broadcast.
As a regular rugby watcher, I don’t think a referee needs instructions to reset scrums. It happens so often, it’s the bane of spectators.
I think they should go down the route of rugby league and have uncontested scrums.
They already are in effect with the scrum half feeding directly into the second row, with complete impunity. With the added bias that if one side has a heavier pack they’ll win a scrum penalty, by virtue of their ability to make the opposition collapse. But that’s a different debate.
No, contested scrums are integral to rugby union. However make it free kicks only for offences at scrum time rather than penalties. And reduce the no. of replacements so teams (hello South Africa) cannot bring a whole new front row at half time or just afterwards. Players would then need to be fit enough to play 80 minutes and would become less bulky
Reducing the number of replacements would be a brilliant change, @dai. Apart from reducing the number of overly bulky props – a massive benefit – it would also be helpful to teams with smaller pools of players. This afternoon, at Twickenham, one of the problems facing Wales will be that England’s bench is stacked with high quality replacements, many of whom arguably deserve to start the game. This is not true for Wales. If England’s starting XV had to play to the end, the odds would not be as loaded in England’s favour. Much as I want England to win, I’d prefer to see a fairer contest.
Free kicks, as a weapon, are next to useless in the middle of the park. Can’t kick for touch, can’t go for the sticks…
Exactly. Having a superior scrum shouldn’t be a guaranteed victory
If it helps to keep sport on “free” terrestrial TV, right on!
Exactly. The alternative is going to be paywalled or subscription only. That there’s any top class sport left on “free to view” is something of a surprise.
This is the key point. ITV have tried to make this point but journalists aren’t interested in printing common sense. They prefer the click-bait about viewers shouting at their tv sets.
I would pay a small sum for no adverts at all like Netflix, I note that Sky/TNT Sports still have billions of commercial breaks despite people paying a considerable monthly sum to watch sport there. At least, until now, they could be avoided during actual playing time.
These days, as a sports fan, you have to subscribe to multiple platforms to watch it all, amounting to hundreds of pounds, thousands a year. Makes the licence look like peanuts (despite today’s increase).
Sky have perfected the art of charging a subscription for broadcasting around 15 minutes of ads in each hour. But sports broadcasts are largely exempt from this; no ads shown during an F1 race, rugby, football. They crowbar what they can into halftime.
Sports with a global reach are the holy grail of TV sales which is why rights now cost billions and terrestrial broadcasts are increasingly just highlights. Amazon have decided the costs were too rich – besides, they had Melanie to pay – but Netflix clearly have ambition and if they go all in the resulting increase in subs won’t be modest.
Streaming is going to have to undergo a fairly significant consolidation- it’s already starting in the US and platforms like DAZN have big ambitions and very rich backers. Until it all shakes out there might be a few bargains to be had – Paramount, Apple and Disney are regularly running deeply discounted packages – but the most likely winners will be those with the top tier sport. In the meantime the NFL, FIFA and F1 will be looking very closely at how they might cut out the middle man and harvest cash direct from fans rather than via a middle man.
I saw two NFL games in person last year and it was striking how much time players spent kicking their heels on the field – in one case in pounding snow – waiting for the ads to finish so the game could resume. But it’s TV that’s generating the lions share of income, so they call the shots. Split screen ads are an obviously less invasive way to go, and allow broadcasters to charge premium rates. Which given the cost of rights, is about the only way they can make it work.
The Netflix advert thing – I’m a tight arse, and have the basic Netflix package. Adverts may be 3 minutes or so at the font end, but rarely encroach on viewing (and if they do, it’s the perfect time to have a quick fag).
Amazon Prime feels more loved with ads, and ITVx … if I hear “Domino hoo hoo” once more I will throw my shoe at the telly.
The in- screen ads I can accept and ignore, it is when there is a break from the screen for the ads that gets my goat.
I don’t like the Six Nations, pleased the French won mind… the only flair team in it.
Rugby kick-offs in Cornwall (I’m normally at football but postponements dictate that I see many rugby matches as well… I might even be at one tomorrow, and I will be at one on Sunday) are tailored around the tournament. We’ve a noon k/o coming up, the one after that is at 3.30. Meanwhile, all the football is at the normal time.
It’s pathetic, but then they have to do that as if there’s a Six Nations game on the TV, so-called ‘rugby fans’ wouldn’t dream of going a mile down the road to see a local game… and they’re the rugby fans and I’m a football fan!
I don’t mind an advert or two when nothing much is happening in a football match (a longer than usual injury say). With rugby I really wouldn’t mind if we had adverts for the entire duration.
If there’s definitely nothing going on, I don’t mind an advert. Mind you, I’m one of those rare people it seems that likes the commentary and the pundits’ analysis. In NZ, the live feed often abruptly stops at the end of the game and we’re straight into the infomercial. I wouldn’t mind seeing the post-match interviews and ex-players shaking their heads and saying “in my day” as if they were paid thruppence ha’penny a week and weren’t also pampered millionaires.
Many top rugby players earn in a year what top football players earn in a week. I don’t think it’s a sport swimming in money
In the UK ITV now have the rights to not only 2/3rds of 6 nations games and the World Cup, but also the new international tournament starting this summer (your winter), I think that is the reason they want to see a better return on their investment. Presumably no commercials during play for Italy v Scotland today (on BBC)
There’s just been an advert during the England Wales game. Did look a bit convenient
Was it to give the Welsh players a rest?
I’m not a rugby fan – partner is – and from my casual viewing of the Six Nations on free-to-air over recent years, in-play adverts are less of an issue than totally missing play. Again, in recent years, I’ve lost count of the number of conversions that have been missed, because the feed has been more concerned with a replay of the try.
That drives me mad! I want to see the conversions!