Viewers watching Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears missed one of the game’s most critical plays while CBS showed a side-by-side commercial.
With 1:31 left in the second quarter, a stoppage in play led CBS to show a split-screen ad before the game resumed. However, the Steelers snapped the ball well before CBS anticipated, with the broadcast abruptly cutting to running back Kenneth Gainwell breaking away for a 54-yard run that was originally called a touchdown on the field. The play featured a bit of misdirection on the part of the Steelers, who lined up in a tush push formation but ended up handing it off to Gainwell outside. Fans missed the initial formation and the first part of the run.
CBS completely missed a 54-yard run by Kenneth Gainwell because they were in a commercial.
Gainwell was marked short of the goal line and the Steelers scored on the next play. pic.twitter.com/Pd3NX0AlGF
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 23, 2025
It was not until CBS showed a replay of the run that fans got a full understanding of what had just transpired.
Typically, a timeout coordinator on the field ensures that play does not resume before the television broadcast is back from commercial. However, these procedures could be different for this type of commercial break, when the broadcast simply decides to air a split-screen ad.
Whatever the case, there was some sort of communication breakdown that led to CBS missing the key 4th-and-1.
The vast majority of the time, networks are able to get in and out of these split-screen commercials without missing any game action. But when important plays are missed, like what happened on Sunday, it’s a surefire way to upset fans who are already frustrated with an increasingly in-your-face commercial load during live sports.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.