Television timeout

A television timeout (or TV timeout), is a break in a televised live event to allow television advertisements to be shown. This has the advantage of allowing the networks to take an advertising break without causing viewers to miss part of the action.

Programs making use of timeouts are usually live-action sporting events. However, other live programs occasionally make use of timeouts for advertising purposes, such as the Eurovision Song Contest.

Use by sport

• American football: The National Football League (NFL) requires that its games have twenty commercial breaks, with ten in each half (an exception is the overtime period which has none). These intervals run either one or two minutes in length. Of the ten per half, two are mandatory (the end of the quarter and the two-minute warning) and the remaining eight are optional.^[1] Such timeouts can be applied after field goal tries, conversion attempts for both one and two points following touchdowns, changes in possession either by punts or turnovers, and kickoffs with the exception of the ones that start each half or are within the last five minutes of such. They are also called during stoppages due to injury, instant replay challenges, when either of the participating teams uses one of its set of timeouts, and if the network needs to catch up on its commercial advertisement schedule. The arrangement for college football contests is similar, except for the absence of the two-minute warning.
• Australian rules football: after a goal has been scored, before the umpire bounces the ball in the centre square to restart play. There is no TV timeout after a behind is scored.
• Baseball: at the end of a half-inning; and sometimes during a pitching change.
• Bowling: Varies.
• College basketball: at the first dead ball after 4 minute intervals (beyond the 16:00, 12:00, 8:00 and 4:00 minute mark of each half). Additionally, the first 30-second team timeout in the second half is expanded to a television timeout. Previously in College Basketball a timeout could not take place before free throws were shot but they had to be shot first. If second one was missed then play would continue. However, if free throws are to be shot, the timeout is taken first. Akin to not being allowed to ice the shooter on a media timeout. Something teams do frequently during a close game when shooter is on the line.
• Cricket: Generally at the end of some overs as the field switches around, when a wicket falls, during drinks breaks and during intervals.
• Curling: at the conclusion of each end. The game generally resumes before the commercial break ends, so when the broadcast comes back on a few rocks will have already been thrown.
• NHL: during stoppages of play, at the discretion of the TV timeout coordinator and typically after passing the following marks of each period: less than 14:00, less than 10:00 and less than 6:00 minutes. One of the linesmen wears a pager that alerts him when a TV timeout should be taken. A TV timeout does not take place while a team is short handed due to penalties: it would then occur after the first whistle following the team's return to full strength. It does on occasion take place before the power play begins. Timeouts also do not occur immediately after a goal or after an icing infraction.^[2] TV timeouts are rarely, if ever, taken during overtime.
• NBA: at the first dead ball after 6:00 and 3:00 in each quarter. First TV timeout is charged to the home team and second TV timeout is charged to the away team, assuming no other timeouts have been called (those would then replace the mandatory TV timeouts). In addition, a timeout at 9:00 in the second and fourth quarter charged to neither team. ^[3]
• Tennis: during the break after odd-numbered games when players change ends.

References

1. ^ Abt, Samuel. "ESPN Positions Itself to Take on Europe," The International Herald Tribune, Monday, January 25, 2010.
2. ^ NHL to implement another rule change for icing, kuklaskorner.com, November 23, 2008, http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/rbh/comments/nhl_to_implement_another_rule_change_for_icing/ 
3. ^ NBA Scoring and Timing Rules Section VII part d