A question.
I watched the Washington State vs Wisconsin game Sat.
It was ESPN on an LA broadcast channel.
There were LOTS of commercials. I cannot imagine that it takes that long to change possession after a 4th down failure for example.
Not just during time outs, or quarter changes, or kickoffs, but during what should have been short pauses.
Does the broadcast contract allow stopping the game to stuff in all these commercials?
PS the ESPN commenter/announcers were full of themselves.
Yes. The NFL and NCAA football both have rules around TV timeouts.
Yes, the TV contracts vary by network and importance of the game.
There are a guaranteed minimum number of 1 minute and 2 minute breaks per half, so possession changes, scores, team time-outs, etc., all can be artificially lengthened to meet the contractual obligated break length.