NBCSN Begins Playing Mini-TV Commercials During Premier League Matches

If you live in the United States and you were watching NBCSN’s broadcast of Chelsea against Manchester United on Sunday, you may have noticed that the network played a mini-TV commercial in the top left corner of the screen during the broadcast of the match.

The 10-second TV commercial for an automobile manufacturer appeared in the 67th minute of the match between two of the biggest teams in Premier League soccer. The TV commercial was displayed over the score bug (watch the video below). And as soon as the full-motion commercial ended, the score bug returned to its previous state.

This is the first weekend where NBCSN has begun testing the new advertising unit. The network has increased the number of advertisers throughout the season who have their named displayed next to the score bug during Premier League matches, but this is the first weekend where we’ve seen a mini-TV commercial used.

While NBCSN’s use of advertising on-screen during Premier League matches is nowhere near as intrusive as broadcasts of soccer games in other countries, yesterday’s advertising during the game represents a departure for NBCSN.

Many of us understand that NBC Sports Group is in the business of generating revenue, but is this type of advertising too intrusive and does it detract from the experience of watching a soccer game on television, or not? Is this the start of NBCSN trying to find and sell new ways to advertise to soccer fans considering the lack of commercial breaks during a typical 90 minute broadcast, or did most of us not notice the ad at all and have no issue with it?

Share your opinion in the comments section below.

H/T to World Soccer Talk reader Guy Robert for the story idea.