New Research by Professor Nelson Shows Commercial interruptions Enhance Viewers’ Enjoyment of Television

Despite many people’s beliefs to the contrary, Rady Professor Leif Nelson’s research, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, demonstrates that viewers watching a television program with commercial breaks rate the program higher than viewers who watch the same program without the commercial interruptions.

Along with his co-authors, NYU Stern Marketing Professor Tom Meyvis and NYU Doctoral Candidate Jeff Galak, Professor Nelson found that consumer enjoyment of a TV program diminishes over time and commercial interruptions can actually help restore the intensity of consumers’ enjoyment. These findings hold true regardless of the quality of commercials. The study was released at an interesting time for the television and advertising industries, around the Super Bowl and February “sweeps” periods.

This fascinating research was picked up in several national media outlets including Time magazine, the New York Times and the Washington Post. To see more Rady School media coverage, visit /news/media-coverage/.