The Super Bowl is a time for many people to get together. For some, it is a chance to watch two of the best teams in the NFL compete. For others, it is a chance to watch an endless stream of advertisements and celebrity cameos. And for many, it's an opportunity to do both. But one company is looking to provide the fans of just the ads the opportunity to watch only the ads.
Cable provider Dish announced the release of a new temporary feature that would allow subscribers who record the game to avoid the game and focus on the ads.
The feature is called "Reverse Autohop." Like Dish's original Autohop, the feature would automatically note when the ads were and fast forward through the actual game. There was no comment on whether "Reverse Autohop" would skip Katy Perry's performance at the halftime show.
The Reverse Autohop version of the game won't be available until Monday.
"We have several clients running Super Bowl ads this year, and Dish's creative technology means more people will see those ads......Making these entertaining ads 'appointment watching' after the game puts the brands front and center for an even wider audience," Bill Koenigsberg, the CEO of Dish's parent company Horizon Media said in a statement.
In many senses, this is a smart move to bring commercial fans back to watching them on tradition television. In the past, most people simply watched the ads on YouTube. However, NBC said that it planned to post the ads to Tumblr moments after they were shown.
While it's understandable that Dish wants to bring users back to traditional TV, the fact that the Super Bowl will stream on YouTube and that the ads will be posted online right after they air makes Reverse Autohop seem unnecessary. Dish's goal to provide an alternative option is an admirable affair, although unneeded.
The Seattle Seahawks play against New England Patriots airs at 6:30 p.m. EST.
