Get ready for fewer commercial breaks and better flow during NFL games

In Week 16 of the 2016 regular season, the NFL made subtle changes to the broadcast product, an indication that it was taking the decline in ratings seriously.

Those changes will continue.

On Wednesday, the NFL sent an email to fans announcing that it will implement changes aimed at improving game flow and reduce the number of “unnecessary disruptions to the game” to make the experience of watching both in-stadium and at home better.

Commissioner Roger Goodell talked to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero and addressed one annoyance fans had that he said bugs him too: the dreaded touchdown-commercial-kickoff-commercial combo.

“It drives me crazy,” Goodell said. “We call those ‘double-ups.’ They actually occurred 27 percent of the time (on kickoffs last season). And that’s still too high for us.”

The goal is to eliminate double-ups, he said.

Goodell said league research showed that fans are bothered by the number of commercial pauses, but don’t notice as much the length; as such, there will now be a standard pattern of four commercial breaks per quarter of 2:20, as opposed to five or six at 1:50 each.

Networks will be allowed to break for ads during replay reviews.

Other broadcast changes include an occasional double box with commercials on one side and a peek into what’s happening inside the stadium on the other, or a sponsored break with just one brand or company instead of several commercials for different products.

According to the letter the NFL sent, after extra-point tries that don’t have a commercial break, there will be a play clock, and a play clock after touchdowns is also being considered.

“We have seen commercialization maybe creep into the game in areas that we don’t think is appropriate,” Goodell said, “and we’re going to work with our network partners to try to pull that back, to make sure that we can create that compelling experience for our fans.”

Goodell also expects that celebration rules will be loosened up, although that is still being evaluated by the competition committee. Allowing players a little more freedom of expression would likely make players happier than fans.