First Commercial-Free NFL Fourth Quarter Coming to Peacock

Fans tuning into Saturday’s NFL match-up between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers are going to see significantly fewer commercials. NBCUniversal and the league have partnered for the NFL’s first commercial-free fourth quarter, a 40% reduction in standard NFL ad load. Streaming exclusively on Peacock with coverage beginning at 8 p.m., Hyundai, Capital One and Walmart are sponsoring the experience. At the top of the fourth quarter, the broadcast will include a branded moment from the sponsors to acknowledge the commercial-free game, with no further advertisements. “We were very proud that we were building Peacock to be AVOD, and that we were building it for and with advertisers,” Mark Marshall, chairman of NBCUniversal’s advertising and partnerships, told Adweek. “This is our next commitment to providing that really cool and unique viewing experience. "We also felt like it was the right timing for building up through the whole season with Sunday Night Football and using that as a launchpad for it, but also right in the holiday season with marketers.” In lieu of commercials, the broadcast will have more than 12 minutes of additional game-related content, including content takeovers and game features. NBCUniversal will head to the studio three times, and each partner will have a role, according to Marshall. “We are excited to be partnering with NBCUniversal to sponsor the NFL’s first-ever commercial-free fourth quarter experience during the Peacock Holiday Exclusive match-up,” said Angela Zepeda, chief marketing officer for Hyundai Motor America. “As the sports viewing landscape continues to evolve, we’re always looking to try new advertising formats and meet our customers where they are.” Walmart and Hyundai are major sponsors throughout the year, and Capital One is joining Saturday’s game. “We’re so excited to team up with NBCUniversal to bring audiences this first of its kind viewing experience,” said Cynthia Epley, vp of brand media strategy and investment at Capital One. "We know watching sports together can be an iconic tradition in households across the country, and Capital One is pleased to be a part of that this holiday season.” NFL Throwbacks Show How Marketers Can Use Nostalgia to Build Brands According to Marshall, Peacock broadcasts have created new audiences for NFL telecasts, which the executive said benefits both the company and its advertisers. “I don’t know whether it’s the Taylor Swift Effect, but the thing that’s been a nice surprise overall when we look at our ratings this year, our linear ratings are up 8% and digital is up 33% just for SNF,” said Marshall. “But if you look at young women, 18-34, that’s up 15%. For these advertisers and sponsors, it’s actually been an interesting conversation all year of getting new audiences.” Shoppable heads to football Saturday’s game will also feature NBCUniversal’s first NFL shoppable moment. In the second quarter heading into gameplay, Walmart is helping football fans with last-minute shopping ahead of the holidays. The branded content, in partnership with NBCUniversal’s creative partnerships team, will use talent from Sunday Night Football. Viewers can scan a QR code to head to the retailer’s holiday hub, which includes 24-hour shipping two days before Christmas. “What we’re learning with shoppable, there’s such a tie to the IP,” said Marshall, pointing to BravoCon experiences. “There’s such a tie to the personality and the IP that people want to get as close as possible, and I think this will be another example of using IP from our talent and our shows that will remind people, ‘Oh, I do have to shop.’” Getting wild NBCUniversal will broadcast three NFL Wild Card games in January, with a Peacock exclusive on Saturday, Jan. 13. Saturday’s game and the upcoming Wild Card game both follow an NFL game on NBC, with the league and NBCUniversal expecting the Peacock games to benefit from a large lead-in audience. “We’re really looking forward to Peacock’s exclusive game this weekend and their presentation of a Wild Card playoff game in a couple weeks, which will be the first-ever exclusive livestreamed NFL playoff game,” said Hans Schroeder, evp of media distribution at the NFL. “Expanding the digital distribution of NFL content while maintaining wide reach for our games continues to be a key priority for the league, and bringing the excitement of a regular season and a playoff game exclusively to Peacock's streaming platform is the next step in that strategy.” According to Marshall, NBCUniversal has benefited from real-time feedback from Peacock and how fans are reacting to advertising on the platform. “Are we delivering against those two key tenants, against consumers and advertisers, and what does that look like with this new incarnation of what we’re doing with the football games?” said Marshall. It's not yet known if the Wild Card game will have the same ad-free sports marketing experience as Saturday’s upcoming match-up, but Marshall said it will “look similar,” with more details to come.

Programming & Performance

Peacock to Broadcast First Commercial-Free NFL Fourth Quarter

Capital One, Hyundai and Walmart are sponsoring the experience

Mollie Cahillane

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Mollie Cahillane