75% of ESPN’s NBA Finals halftime analysis was dedicated to ads

The NBA Finals match-up between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns has been fantastic. But if you are like us during nearly every ESPN televised game you have probably wondered “how can ESPN’s broadcast team be this bad”. Well in the pursuit of knowledge a /user/NotAllWhoWonderRLost from Reddit broke down the exact timing of ads to analysis in game 1’s halftime show. Here is the scientific proof you aren’t crazy, ESPN’s halftime shows really do suck.

The time between the first-half buzzer and the opening tick of the second half was 16:03. Of that time:
-2:01 (12.6%) was spent with the play-by-play crew.
-1:58 (12.3%) was spent with the halftime crew.
-12:04 (75.2%) was ads.

To-the-second breakdown:
0:00 First half buzzer (followed by 37 seconds with the play-by-play crew)
0:37 “Is brought to you by…” (lasts 15 seconds)
0:52 First add break (2 minutes 12 seconds)
3:04 Highlight interlude with the play-by pay guys (15 seconds)
3:19 First add break continues (1 minute 32 seconds)
4:51 Halftime crew does analysis (1 minute 32 seconds)
6:23 Second ad break (3 minutes 41 seconds)
10:04 Halftime crew does first-half highlights (26 seconds)
10:30 Third ad break (4 minutes 24 seconds)
14:54 Play-by-play crew is back (1 minute 9 seconds)
16:03 Second half clock starts