The Super Bowl is shaking up its game plan when it comes to commercials.
Super Bowl LIV, which will take place on Feb. 2, will run longer commercial breaks than in previous years — but less often, according to a report in Sports Business Daily.
The NFL and Fox are cutting the number of ad breaks to four per quarter instead of the five they had run over the past three decades, SBJ reported.
Each break will also be 30 seconds longer than in previous years, which network and league execs told SBJ will barely register with viewers.
“For several years now, we have been working with our broadcast partners to make changes to our game broadcasts that are intended to improve the viewing experience,” NFL VP/Broadcasting Cathy Yancy told the publication. “We’ve seen positive results from these efforts.”
Fox will also keep one “floating” ad break during the game that it can use for unexpected stoppages, such as injuries.
According to the report, Fox execs said they don’t think the decision will impact the ad sales process around the game, which commands the highest ad prices in television.
Fox is charging between $5.5 to $5.6 million for a 30-second spot, which is in line with what CBS charged last season when it broadcast the game.
The Super Bowl is often watched as much for its ads as it is for the game. And companies will pay big bucks to air their best commercials during the biggest sporting event of the year.
Last year CBS reeled in an estimated $382 million in advertising revenue despite low ratings — the third-largest amount in the game’s 53-year history, according to research firm Kantar Media.