NFL Puts Fans in Lab to See What Works as Football Seeks Answers
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If you notice more split-screens and fewer commercial breaks on NFL broadcasts this coming season, credit the fans who served as football’s lab rats.
Last fall, as its TV ratings were in an unexpected tailspin, the National Football League invited fans into a lab designed like a living room. Technicians asked them to watch games, tracking their eyes, heart rates and skin response. They saw different ad formats, including split screens with commercials on one side and the field on the other.
The tests — which were planned prior to last season and were the most extensive ever by the league — are contributing to big changes in how games will be broadcast when the regular season starts Sept. 7 with a Thursday night matchup on NBC between the Kansas City Chiefs and champion New England Patriots. The goal is to keep viewers engaged and protect the $3.5 billion in annual TV advertising taken in by NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN and the NFL Network.
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