Dive Brief:
Fox Networks Group will introduce six-second TV ads to its broadcasts of NFL games and other sporting events this fall, according to a report in The New York Times. The ads will air alongside 15- and 30-second commercials. Fox first tested the extra-short format during the Teen Choice Awards last month with brands like Duracell and Mars.

 
Viewers should already be accustomed to six-second ads given their popularity on digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Snapchat. Fox is banking on the shorter length becoming an industry standard on broadcast TV and Eric Shanks, president of Fox Sports, told the Times that the format "has the potential to gain even more attention than a traditional unit."

The first six-second ads will appear on Sept. 10, before the kick-off of Fox's slate of opening season NFL games. Fox is selling them for the MLB World Series and other marquee events, Shanks said. The shorter spots will be placed sparingly, however, and possibly presented differently than commercials through boxes on-screen during breaks in play. One goal of the strategy is to reduce the amount of time commercial breaks take up during games over time.
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