While many viewers tuning into the College Football Playoff National Championship are grumbling about the excess of commercials, those watching ESPN’s 4K broadcast seem to be dissatisfied with the scant commercial interruptions. As Notre Dame faces off against Ohio State for the title in Atlanta, 4K stream viewers are reporting a complete absence of commercials during media timeouts, in stark contrast to the traditional broadcast, which is inundated with ads especially during lengthy drives in the first half.
ESPN 4K feed has no ads. #CFPNationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/9PtBEdWhnt
— Patrick Keane (@phkeane) January 21, 2025
Notre Dame had a 10 minute drive so ESPN is going to have 8 commercial breaks in the next 5 minutes. People don’t understand the spread offense is actually created by big TV in order to have more breaks in the game. Few.
— Jack Mac (@JackMacCFB) January 21, 2025
The absence of ads on the 4K stream is puzzling for an event of such significance. Although the 4K stream may attract fewer viewers than the traditional broadcast, it raises questions about lost revenue opportunities. ESPN has stated that the 4K feed is accessible through providers such as Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network, Optimum, Sling TV, Verizon, and YouTube TV. Typically, 4K channels are available only on higher-tier services, which might suggest an incentive for those willing to pay more for enhanced quality.
However, an alternative explanation could be at play. Regardless of the reasoning, many viewers find the lack of advertisements peculiar, while others believe it underscores just how excessive the usual commercial load is.
Football without commercials is weird. This 4K ESPN broadcast is like 30 seconds of gameplay followed by 2 minutes of silent footage of the stadium. #CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/D6ynh6CCtP
— 𝙏𝙞𝙢 🐅 (@SomeCallMeTimmy) January 21, 2025
Watching on the ESPN4K feed that doesn’t have commercials really makes the amount of ads they’re stuffing into this thing feel staggering. Five minutes of silent stadium cam from the upper deck.
— No Escalators (@NoEscalators) January 21, 2025
