NBC Scraps Idea of Combining Action With Commercials on Split Screens

NBC said it was scrapping plans to show quarter-screen images of Olympic events during some commercials. “NBC will not combine Olympic coverage with commercials in split-screen format,” a spokesman for the network said.

NBC, concerned about the possibility of missing a crucial moment, approached some advertisers with the idea of showing, on “an occasional basis,” continuing coverage of events in the lower right-hand corner of the screen while commercials aired.

“NBC will not combine Olympic coverage with commercials in split-screen format,” a statement isued by NBC said. “NBC Sports had spoken with several advertisers about the possibility of utilizing split-screen commercials during our Olympic Games coverage.”

“It is an idea that NBC proposed using on an occasional basis and which met with considerable interest by Olympic advertisers. The concept has merit, and advertising ‘frames’ were used during NBC’s coverage of the World Cup soccer tournament in 1986. However, the feeling expressed by advertisers is that the split-screen idea needs exploration.”

The idea was suggested by Michael Weisman, NBC Sports’ executive producer, and reported in the New York Daily News.