WWE taking commercials during matches

[Crippler CrossFace]

Okay I remember watching the WWF/WWE and being able to watch matches in their entirety. Once in a while they would cut to commercial during a match but it was at most twice a show. Cut to today and I'm watching Superstars right now and every match has been interrupted by a commercial. Even the main shows have commercials during matches. I do not understand why shows like Smackdown or Superstars have commercial breaks during matches. I pointed out these two shows because they are taped and can easily be edited to never have a match interrupted.

I'm not quite sure why they do this. I think it really takes away from the matches and needs to be rectified. Anyone else feel the same way or am I in the minority here.

 

[4realpeoples]

It's for money. They place the commercials during matches hoping you'll stay to watch the commercials to buy those products and at the same time prevent you from changing the channel to watch the conclusion of the match.

 

[AndarielHalo]

Back in my day (WWF 2000-2003, then late 2004 for a while) we didn't have commercials interrupting matches... mostly because they were short as hell. Blame Russo, maybe.

The WWE's interruptions aren't that bad, but TNA is just abysmal with it. It's even worse because it's a PRE-TAPED SHOW!!!! I suppose they want to maintain the illusion of being live, but why even bother? Especially since Russo is somehow convinced that the entire audience is made up of smarks, and the IWC is his target audience.

 

[pessimism101]

The reason you were able to see the entire match before was because most matches didn't last any longer than 5 minutes during the Attitude era. Now, most matches are longer, averaging around 10-15 minutes (including intros). Since WWE rarely has a segment (other than the opening and closing segments) go longer than 10 minutes, any match that DOES go over 10 minutes will almost always cut to commercial at some point.

 

[ncwriter2908]

I dont mind it. I guess they have to make money. TNA does it a little more because they need to make money more than WWE. I also think it gives the illusion that the match last longer than it is since you see them in the ring and then it cuts to commercial then it comeback and a little more fighting then a winner. Its not that big of a deal. I hated them cutting to commercial during this weeks TNA knockouts handicap match. Damn the Beautiful People have the best entrance and Tara is too hot.

 

[Diablosbomb]

I've been to a smackdown taping before and there are some points where you see an obvious messed up spot and then when I watch on friday I notice that the commercial that interrupts the match conveniently "falls" right where the messed up spot is. I'm not saying this is why it is always placed in the middle of a match, but it could be a way of easily cutting a messed up spot from a match without it being very obviously edited out.

 

[XgringolocoX]

If the commercials were during the promos you'd only get half of the conversation. Which would you like, the begining or the end. Having commericals during the matches prevents this as well. Replays of a promo during a promo just doesn't work like it does during a match.

 

[emerald phoenix]

i have no problem with it, if u really pay attention to when they take the actual breaks its after a major move happened and both wrestlers r getting up or there just punching.....we prob miss NOTHING important during break as one of the ring guys probably signals to the wrestlers that their off air so they just walk thru stuff until their back on air and pick it back up

 

[billm75]

For Smackdown and Superstars, since these are pre-taped shows, they could honestly have the commercial break and come right back to the same point in the match as when they cut away for the commercial couldn't they? I don't mind it much when they interrupt the matches for commercials, but sometimes it seems like we miss the "turning point" in someone's offense and have to catch it on the half screen replay.

Take tonight's Superstars. When we left for commercial, JTG was kicking Dolph's sorry butt all over the ring. Come back and wouldn't you know it? Dolph got the upperhand "while we were away". I know it can't be helped during live viewings (ie: RAW) but we could certainly have this issue fixed with the taped shows.

That's truly my only problem with commercial placement in the shows. I fully understand the need to get paid and I don't usually watch the broadcast, I DVR the shows then fast-forward through all commercials on all shows anyways.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

I think it's a great idea, frankly, from a business perspective. However, I also have no problem with it from a fan perspective either.

When WWE goes to commercial, they obviously cue the ref in when a break is being taken, and the ref then cues the talent. So they do a spot which more often than not, sends someone to the outside of the ring ... etc. to kill time, and basically they don't really do anything until they come back on the air. So what I am saying is that you aren't really missing anything. So as a fan, you have nothing to worry about.

From a business perspective, you are far more likely to stay tune, if you are in the middle of a match. So that means you are far more likely to stick with the program for a longer duration, as opposed to if WWE began all of their commercial breaks at the end of each segment.

Tapping into my mind as a viewer, if there was a segment on that I wasn't happy with, or perhaps several segments I wasn't happy with .... and then a commercial came on at the end of a segment when I had enough of the show, I would tune out and quite possibly not tune back in for the duration of the show.

Doing the occasional commercial break during the middle of matches equates to the viewer being least likely to tune out of the whole show, and is more likely to retain them.

So I don't mind it from a fan perspective since I know I am not missing anything and it's great for business as more people are likely to stick with the show, and thus the advertisers are more pleased as well since more people will be viewing the commercials they paid for.

 

[mister_b1LL]

In WWE I don't mind the commercials. As Sid so eloquently put it, during the commercial breaks there really isn't anything going on between where you went to commercial and when it come back. And when you do come back, they cut to the only scene that mattered during the commercial, and that is either being thrown into the ring post, being thrown into the steel steps, driving someone into the barricade, or just a reversal. It's just what I've noticed coming out of the commercial break for WWE.

The thing I like about commercial breaks is that if the match is really hot and you drop a commercial break in between, you get pissed that they put a break in between your match, yet it still makes you want to wait until the action comes back.

If there's guys doing commerical breaks wrong, it's TNA. First of all TNA matches have a 10 minute time limit so it makes no sense to put a commercial break in between 3 minutes of action before and after the break. The other thing is that they put their music on as they go to commercial. The thing about doing it in the WWE is their unpredictability by not telling people they're gonna go into a commercial break until the last second. TNA makes it obvious the break is happening by playing their music.

I do wish that commercial breaks were shorter though. On average commercial breaks on TV are about 3 minutes (usually 6 commercials a break). Yet I notice that commercial breaks during sports events are (or at least seem) a lot shorter. Since it is a "sports" brand I think wrestling should have the same treatment and at the very least cut the commercial time to 2 minutes or less, especially during matches.

 

[Vintage Nick]

WWE's commercials don't bother me, as sometimes they can lead you in a bit of suspense of what's going on in the match-up. Sure the timing is predictable (and sometimes UNpredictable), but it's spot-on. It's great from a business standpoint, too.

And as stated before, TNA's commercial timing is abysmal. Take for instance: AJ is wrestling Kurt. TNA plays random music before a commercial break. We come back to two more minutes of fighting before a commercial break. Come back, and then literally two SECONDS later guess what? Yep, more commercials.

 

[Crippler CrossFace]

Okay I totally understand the business thing, I get it they use it for money. I have no problem with the money.

I disagree with the suspense aspect though. I mean this may just be me but everytime they go to commercial the dominant wrestler will, as previously said, throw the other guy out or they will both be knocked out. Now when the match resumes the less dominant wrestler will have the other guy in a rear chin headlock. It's just frustrating seeing every match follow this pattern.

Someone mentioned the promos being cut. Listen I'm not expecting promos to be cut, I'm saying schedule the show so that we can watch maybe 1 full match a show. I remember watching a match that was interrupted 3 times by commercials. I understand you need money but that is a bit excessive.

Also when it comes to the timing of the commercials. It's not right away but you can pretty much tell when they are going to happen. It goes by the commentary. "John Morrison is facing off with Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental title, will he be able to defeat his arch rival, we'll find out when we come back." sound familiar, it comes before almost every single commercial break.

I'm not saying it's not smart from a business standpoint, I'm saying it's frustrating for me as a fan when I can see every commercial break and know what's gonna happen after when they do come back from break.

 

[The Doctor]

I'd rather have a commercial during a match than one during a promo, personally. As has been said, commercials during matches makes sense from a business standpoint, as it makes the viewer want to see the conclusion of the match.

I'd say it also makes sense from a creative standpoint. If you interrupt a match, the viewer is forced to piece together what happened in between the commercials. Of course, using the replay kind of ruins it, but if you aren't shown the replay you could imagine that the match is much better than it really is.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

Something I've noticed with the placing of commercials, especially on SD, does anyone have this, on the My Network TV, they just quickly go to a commercial with no 'segway' (spelling?) and then come right back, and 3 seconds later, another commercial that is already underway.

Then one time there was a segment of Rey Mysterio doing an interview that froze up completely and this was 15 minutes into SD. My Network just LOVES (dripping w/sarcasm) putting commercials in the most funked up places. Once they put these commercials in and they came back from the divas match already over!! We completely missed it!!