The Effects of Commercial Intermissions on Viewers’ Evaluation of Television Program

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the degree to which commercial discontinuity influences the audience’s ability to enjoy a television program. Methods/Statistical Analysis: A randomly assigned two groups were shown a thirty-minute drama, one group without commercials and the corresponding group with four, 15-second commercials inserted in the middle of the drama. Findings: Contrary to the expectations, the results showed that the commercial interruptions did not influence the viewers’ evaluation of the program. Although consumers prefer to avoid interruptions in television viewing, discontinuity can improve the television watching experience. Implications/ Applications: Based on the results of the study, theoretical and practical implications of the impact of commercial discontinuity are discussed.