The NFL and NBCUniversal said the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Chargers game streaming exclusively on Peacock will be commercial-free — a first for an NFL game.
The reduced ad load in the December 23 game — NBCU said it’s 40% lower than normal — is being made possible by presenting sponsors Capital One, Hyundai and Walmart.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, there will be an acknowledgement that there will be no more commercials thanks to the three sponsors.
“We are proud to work with our partners at the NFL to present this first-of-its kind experience,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said. “NBC Sports’s best-in-class NFL production, Peacock’s fan-friendly viewer experience and this innovative advertising model will allow NFL fans an exciting new way to watch the game’s conclusion.”
Instead of commercials, the broadcast will feature content takeovers and game features that integrate relevant Football Night in America studio updates and analysis, brought to viewers by the sponsors.
A Walmart ad during the game produced by NBCU’s Creative Partnerships team will feature NBC Sports analysts Chris Simms and Devin McCourty relying on Walmart for last-minute gifts.
The game will also feature NBCU’s first shoppable moment during an NFL telecast, presented by Walmart. The moment will feature a QR code that takes viewers to Walmart’s holiday hub.
“The power of live sports is more prevalent than ever, and at NBCUniversal, we not only have the scale of our broadcast platform, but we now can reach an entirely new audience through Peacock,” Mark Marshall, chairman, global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said. “With this one-of-a-kind sponsorship environment attached to our first-ever exclusive Peacock NFL game, we are able to connect an untapped set of consumers to our marketers, and we couldn’t be more grateful to our partners at the NFL for trusting us to creatively launch this groundbreaking format."
