\n<\/p>\n
Television commercial breaks are the bane of every N.F.L. fan. They interrupt a game already riddled with stoppages, bombard viewers with come-ons and force fans and players in the stadium to stand around for about two and a half minutes, sometimes in the freezing cold.<\/p>\n
Yet commercials are the lifeblood of the N.F.L. Without them, broadcasters could not afford to pay the league billions of dollars for rights fees, money that goes to paying players\u2019 salaries and much more.<\/p>\n
Most games have 18 commercial breaks. A few timeouts, like at the end of the first and third quarters and at the two-minute warnings, are fixed. The league and networks avoid taking breaks if a team\u2019s opening drive of the game ends quickly, because they want fans to settle into the broadcast. If all goes well, the last commercials run at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Most commercial breaks, though, are chosen in real time as league executives, network producers and officials on the field look for natural breaks in the action. Finding them is more art than science because every game unfolds differently, with long drives, three-and-outs, injury timeouts and coaches\u2019 challenges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cOur fans know that the commercial breaks are coming,\u201d said Mike North, vice president of broadcast planning and scheduling at the N.F.L. \u201cThe whole idea from where we sit is to try to use those breaks to cover downtime: resetting the field after a score; if there happens to be an injury, hopefully a minor one; or an instant replay review when the referee goes to the sideline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their decisions will be seen on Sunday by more than 100 million viewers watching the Super Bowl and, advertisers hope, the 30-second commercials, some of which cost more than $8 million<\/a>. The ads are so valuable that networks \u2014 Fox this year \u2014 add two extra breaks during the game, bringing the total to 20.<\/p>\n The league, networks and officials on the field call a minimum of four commercial breaks a quarter, but they try to balance between taking too many breaks that interrupt the flow of the game and waiting too long and risk having to cram in breaks as the game clock ticks down.<\/p>\n The logistics of determining when to call television timeouts require an intricate phone tree over a three-hour game. The referee, who controls when a game starts and stops and can overrule a request for a break, communicates with the back judge, who is in constant contact with two sideline officials standing near the 20-yard line. One of them wears a green hat and represents the league. The other has on orange gloves<\/a> and works for the network.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n They speak with Mr. North and other league officials in the press box and producers in the production truck outside the stadium. Sometimes, the decision to go to commercial is obvious, like after a score. At other times, the league and network take a break after an injury or a coach\u2019s challenge. The official wearing the orange gloves will cross his arms in an \u201cX\u201d to signal that the network wants to go to break. The referee will then blow the whistle and stretch his arms out to form a T, meaning play is stopped for about 2 minutes and 20 seconds.<\/p>\n Sometimes, the green hat official will hold up a sign with \u201c:30\u201d printed on it to indicate that the network wants to take a 30-second timeout, not a full 2:20 break. When breaks end, the referee twirls his arm above his head three times, and the game clock restarts. If a team calls a timeout but the network does not want to go to commercial break, the official with the orange gloves will spin his arm in a circle above his head.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Some commercial timeouts are based on hunches. Early in the divisional round playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams\u2019 coach, Sean McVay, challenged a call of an incomplete pass on third down. The officials ruled that the receiver had dropped the ball, but the replays were inconclusive, so Mr. North and NBC went to commercial because they bet the review would not be quick. When the break ended, the call was overturned and the Rams\u2019 drive continued. Mr. North felt good they could use a break seamlessly.<\/p>\n