AFN doesnt show super bowl commericals - why ?
 

AFN - armed forces network.
Over here in Iraq we got about 7 channels of AFN. We just got over the super bowl but they didnt/werent allowed to show the (cool?) commercials that everyone else saw.

AFN even made a 15 second spot that said "we'd like to show you commercials during the super bowl, but if we did, we'd have to pay for programming and we can't afford to do that"

this seems like a failure of a few business paradigms.
I assume that the broadcast of the SB was donated or given at reduced cost to AFN
normally, TV stations get paid to air a company's advertisement.
Why can't AFN take them for free ? they'd be giving the advertising company a deal - we'll air your stuff, and not make you pay anything.

I'm sure that AFN plays by very different rules than NBC/ABC/CBC/Any cable station (I'd love to see public reaction to some of the 'anti-terrorism' commercials that I get to watch =) But this just doesn't make sense to me. Can anyone clear this up ?

-SSGt Grube

I'm willing to guess here that because of "diplomatic" reasons, you're getting the "wild-feed" of the game...sans commercials...

The "wild-feed" (WF) is the video/audio being transmitted from the site of the game and prior to network 'assimilation' where the network inserts the particular commercials into the stream and then shoots it back up to the satellites and eventually back down to either the local broadcasting outlets or to the appropriate satellite programming services out there...just be happy you're getting the game and have your family/friends record the commercials for you so you have some memories to share when you get home...

To give you an idea how some folks happen to see different items on the same show (even though everyone is "supposedly" watching the same show) here's a little "insider" information...

EXAMPLE: FOX Network has at least 6 transponders (they can have more for emergencies) they use each Game Day (Same thing for any Network Feed, including NASCAR)...one transponder is used as a back-up for another and each transponder can be split off from the others to feed a different commercial at the same time on each different transponder...the receivers at each affiliates' location are individually programmed and remotely controlled by FOX to look at a particular "bird" and its related transponder.

If the first spot in a net-break is intended to be a Ford spot in New York, another transponder lighting up the Chicago area could be running a Toyota add at the same time in the same place as that Ford spot is. And in Denver, that location for the commercial could be showing a Chevy spot. And, if you didn't play nice with the network, they'll just "de-list" your receiver and you'll be left doing shadow-puppet-shows on a white sheet in front of the camera...not too entertaining... :eek: :rolleyes:

But, getting back to your original query...I'm thinking you're a victim of PC-engineering...

Again, be happy with what you have and be thankful you were able to get that...I'm sure the people who managed to negotiate that much are wishing it was a lot easier...you and I may not REALLY want to know the whole story... :eek: :rolleyes: :D

My guess would be NBC sold the advertising only for certain areas. Maybe just the US. Thus the rights to commercial time outside of the US would need to be bought as well.



If it makes you feel any better, there wasn't a really good SB commercial this year. The closest was the cashforgold one, which had (what looked like) a dying Ed McMahon and MC Hammer.

The Danica Patrick one was kinda funny in a real sexist kinda way. So sexist you can't take it seriously.