According to media reports, broadcasters such as ITV and Fox could insert ads during these breaks, either by stopping the broadcast entirely or showing them in split-screen.
Back in December, the world football organization confirmed that all 104 matches of the tournament will have a three-minute break in the middle of each half due to the expected high temperatures.
These breaks, presented by FIFA as a measure to protect the health of the players, will take place regardless of the temperature, meaning that there will be guaranteed breaks in play at every match.
According to The Athletic, FIFA has confirmed that broadcasters will be able to show commercials during those breaks. One of the options is to completely stop the transmission and broadcast ads for up to two minutes and ten seconds.
Televisions will be allowed to start commercials 20 seconds after the referee’s whistle to stop the game, and will have to return to broadcasting at least 30 seconds before the game resumes.
Another possibility is the display of advertisements in split-screen format, where you can see the match at the same time. In that case, only official FIFA sponsors can advertise, while FIFA itself will control the branding of breaks in stadiums.
American television Fox Broadcasting Company, which has the rights to broadcast in English in the US, plans to use commercial breaks, while the Spanish channel Telemundo will pay more attention to the analysis of events on the field.
Telemundo said that they are aware that football is different from many American sports and that viewers often want to hear what is happening on the field, including the coaches’ conversations during the break.
Meanwhile, the British commercial channel ITV is already talking to partners about the possibility of showing advertisements during those breaks. On the other hand, the BBC, which also has the rights to broadcast the tournament in Great Britain, is not allowed to broadcast advertisements.
Unlike sports like American football, basketball or hockey, which have frequent natural breaks for commercials, football has much less of them. This is precisely why the new breaks represent an additional opportunity for broadcasters and sponsors to increase broadcast revenues.
However, this decision is expected to cause divided reactions among fans, especially among traditionalists who believe that commercials should not interrupt the flow of a football match.
(Vijesti.ba)
