TVNZ hits back as ads anger viewers

Viewers are taking a dim view to the number and timing of advertisements on the Commonwealth Games TV coverage from the Gold Coast.

And although TVNZ expected some criticism, they insist the treatment of advertisements during events is being done as respectfully as possible.

There has been criticism on social media, during both the opening ceremony last night and the first major event with a New Zealand flavour, the women’s triathlon.

At one point in the triathlon, a lengthy advertisement for cooking chickens ran as the leaders were getting to the sharp end of the race with one New Zealander, Nicole van der Kaay, pushing to get up towards the bronze medal position.

TVNZ spokeswoman Rachel Howard said the organisation had to find a method of funding the content.

“That’s part of the package. But in saying that the team who are managing the Commonwealth Games are being very mindful about balancing the ad load with the viewer experience,” she said.

“We are scheduling carefully and flexibly so we’re not going to miss key moments of action or those medal moments.

“We are not just whacking them in to fit a pre-determined schedule.”

TVNZ have a certain number of minutes of advertising each hour, but again that’s not locked in.

“If we have huge moments happening we’ll make up the advertising at another point to ensure our obligations to sponsors and advertisers are met. We’re looking at the Games as a whole when it comes to advertising rather than hour by hour,” Howard said.

TVNZ understood ads aren’t to all viewers’ liking.

That said, “we have the ambition to make this the most extensive free-to-air coverage of any major sporting event”.

There are decision makers in the Games coverage group who decide when advertisements will run. They are not pre-set, Howard said.

“If we have a Kiwi athlete who is unexpectedly coming up trumps then we can hold off [an ad] and make sure we’re showing it.”

Criticism of the advertisements isn’t a surprise, she added.

“It’s the world we play in. That’s how we fund our content. But even with the ads, we think there is going to be more than enough Kiwi content.”