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The 2022 US Open telecast faced significant backlash due to the number of commercials. The play was interrupted several times during the tournament, forcing the audience to file complaints against it.
The same scenario was repeated Thursday during the 2023 US Open first round telecast from the Los Angeles Country Club.
USGA CEO Mike Wan announced Wednesday that the 2023 US Open will have 30 percent fewer commercial breaks than last year. Wan made the announcement, living up to the promise he made last year.
Despite the large pronouncement, first-round coverage of the major was interrupted several times due to ad breaks on the USA Network, which is owned by NBC Universal Television and Streaming.
According to reports, the first 12 minutes and 45 seconds of coverage of the afternoon session of the Grand Slam saw a staggering 15 announcements. Coverage that began at 2 pm ET on the USA Network showed only 11 golf shots between the 12 commercials.
Aside from the TV commercials, the play was also interrupted for a one-minute promotional video for the USGA, featuring Whan himself.
The low play-to-ad ratio continued throughout the day. The first 24 minutes of coverage that started at 3:00 pm had 20 commercials. To the viewer’s surprise, the longest uninterrupted piece of coverage contained only 15 straight shots.
However, even this was surrounded by 13 ads in a half-screen format.
Needless to say, fans were once again disappointed in the ad-filled coverage and took to social media to voice their displeasure. Many viewers called out Whan directly as he made a hollow promise to make the event flawless.
Asking the CEO of the USGA to take action against television commercial interruptions during the broadcast of the US Open
Prior to the 2023 US Open, Mike Wan claimed that the USGA Network and NBC had discussed and settled on reducing TV advertising during the main broadcast.
The USGA president said there will be a 30 percent decrease in commercial breaks during weekend coverage. Compared to last year, the 123rd US Open will feature 19 fewer commercials, the official claimed.
Wan stated that he decided to take action on the commercials after receiving complaints from fans on social media. Speaking at the LACC ahead of the main weekend, the chairman said he had looked into the complaints and taken action for the same. However, Thursday’s coverage of the event proved otherwise.
Of note, NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2023 US Open is the most expansive television coverage in USAF history of the major tournament. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the weekend.
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