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NFL commercial breaks in 2017 will be less frequent, but they'll be longer

Good news, NFL fans: Games are going to feature fewer commercial breaks.

Bad news: Those commercial breaks are going to be longer.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced several changes on Wednesday in a letter to fans, with the goal being to improve pace of play.

Instead of five or six commercial breaks per quarter, games will now largely adhere to a four-per-quarter policy, according to USA Today. Those commercial breaks will increase from 1:50 in length to 2:20, as Goodell told USA Today that the league's research indicates fans are more aware of fewer breaks than the length of breaks.