NEW YORK—Sports fans tired of the heavy ad loads typically aired during NFL matchups, will get a welcome break on Dec. 23 when NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock will stream the Buffalo Bills–Los Angeles Charger game with an ad free fourth quarter, a first for the NFL.
The game will be exclusively available on the streaming service except for the home broadcast markets for the Bills and the Chargers, where the game will air on local NBC stations.
NBCU also announced that the matchup will also deliver a groundbreaking fan experience with an over 40% reduction in standard NFL ad load resulting in more than 12 minutes of additional game-related content, NBCU said.
“We are proud to work with our partners at the NFL to present this first-of-its kind experience,” said NBC Sports president Rick Cordella. “NBC Sports’ 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.”
For the game, Peacock said that it will be using several innovative ad formats, including:
- COMMERCIAL-FREE FOURTH-QUARTER INTRO: At the top of the fourth quarter, the broadcast will feature a branded moment to acknowledge the first-ever NFL commercial-free experience. From this moment on, there will be no commercials throughout the fourth quarter.
- CONTENT TAKEOVERS: In lieu of fourth-quarter commercial time, the broadcast will feature special content takeovers and game features, seamlessly integrating relevant booth and studio updates and analysis.
NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football announce team of Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark will call Bills-Chargers.
The Peacock Holiday Exclusive matchup immediately follows the Holiday Special Saturday afternoon game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports’ B1G Saturday Night team – Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen – will call Bengals-Steelers. Three-time Super Bowl referee Terry McAulay will serve as rules analyst for both games.
In January, Peacock will also be the home of the first-ever exclusive live streamed NFL Playoff game, presenting an NFL Wild Card Playoff in primetime on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. With the two Saturday NFL Wild Card games and a Sunday primetime NFL Wild Card game (on NBC and Peacock), NBCUniversal will be the first media company to present three NFL Playoff games in a single weekend (January 2024).
The Peacock exclusive Wild Card game and regular season game will be broadcast on NBC stations in the two competing team cities, and available on mobile devices with NFL+. The NFL is the only sports league that presents all regular-season and postseason games on free, over-the-air television in local markets.
