You knew this was coming.
Beginning November 5th, brief TV commercials (“micro-ads”) will be broadcast during National Football League games whenever a long pass is launched by the quarterback.
According to League Commissioner Roger Goodell, “Our goal has always been to monetize every moment of ‘dead time’ in NFL contests. The few seconds that it takes for a long pass to reach its destination after leaving the hand of the quarterback is a classic example of dead time. It would be criminal not to use that period as an opportunity to generate revenue.
“We will employ a split screen for this purpose. The right screen will show the football traveling through the air, while the left screen will display the logo of an easily recognizable brand such as Coke, Ford, or Trojan condoms, accompanied by a mini-message (‘Drink Coke’, ‘Drive a Ford’, ‘Unroll Your Trojan’).
“By the start of the 2024 season, micro-ads will also be shown during all kickoffs, punts, and field-goal attempts of more than 35 yards.
“What’s not to love? Ka-ching!”