With an estimated two-thirds of the South African population interested in sports, it is no surprise that South Africa is home to some of the most dedicated sports fans worldwide. For many sports lovers, there is nothing better than having your friends over for a big sporting event, with a spread of finger food and non-stop drinks, while watching your favourite team or athlete in action.
However, no matter how dedicated a sports fan you might be, there will come a time during the event when you’ll have to endure an ad break. While it’s challenging to do anything besides aimlessly stare at the TV, cursing the advertisements under your breath until the event resumes, why not make the most of these moments?
We know your thoughts; how can you make the most of advertisements? This article outlines several things sports fans can do during ad breaks without getting up from the comfort of their couch. From fantasy team management and playing online casino games on your smartphone to social media discussions and quick workouts, keep reading as we outline how to make the most of the ad breaks during sporting events.
Play Games On Your Phone
Since ‘Candy Crush’ exploded onto the gaming scene in 2012, the mobile gaming sphere has experienced massive growth. Nowadays, you can find an entire catalogue of games to improve your mobile gaming experience that can be played anywhere and anytime using a games console, computer, or any other internet-enabled device.
Due to this accessibility, mobile games have become a must-have for passing the time during their daily work commute, at the doctor’s office, or while sitting on the couch. Sometimes, a quick mobile gaming session only meant to last five minutes can soon become an hour-long affair, especially when you’re playing for money, like the range of mobile casino games from Jackpot Casino.
From slot games to live-dealer poker, their website is jam-packed with traditional and modern casino games that can keep you entertained during commercial breaks without leaving your spot on the sofa. Consider visiting their website to browse their entire games library, read their slot game reviews etc. and see how their games could help you pass the time during the next ad break.
Manage Your Own Fantasy Team
Have you ever watched a sporting event and felt you could have organised the teams better? Well, now you can! Using fantasy football websites/mobile applications, you can place yourself in the shoes of a football manager and govern your fantasy team. Plus, if you’re already using the websites/applications, the commercial break is the perfect time to substitute Harry Kane for Jack Grealish and make other adjustments.
Use the five-minute ad intervals to analyse player statistics, make transfers, and strategically adjust your team. Ensure you’re keeping up to date with the latest football-related news to make the best decisions for your fantasy football team; after all, you have that cash price to consider (and bragging rights in the group chat, of course!).
Not only can fantasy football be a welcome distraction from the monotony of commercial breaks, but it can enhance your enjoyment of the game as it makes you invested in the players’ performance and adds an extra layer of excitement to the event.
Check Your Socials
If you’re watching the game alone and have no one to make running commentary with, why not use the ad break to check your socials and get involved with the discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and other popular social media platforms? No matter where you are, watching the game live or viewing it in a bar, social media is a valuable tool for connecting like-minded sports fans and sharing opinions on players, teams, results, and much more.
If you haven’t already, head to Twitter or Facebook and join sports-related groups or forums where you can share your thoughts halfway through the event, predict the event’s outcome, and engage in friendly conversation with others. Not only can it help the ad breaks pass quicker, but it can enhance your viewing experience as you can gain different perspectives on the event, connect with people who share your interests, and much more.
However, while social media is an excellent tool for connectivity, it’s essential to remember that not everyone will share your opinion, and you might receive backlash. Whether the respondent supports your rival team or they disagree with your take, internet drama can quickly get out of hand. Hence, it’s essential that you’re able to diffuse the situation, practice online safety, and know when not to respond to someone who is trying to press your buttons!
Complete A Quick Workout
Sometimes sporting events can go on all day, and while it’s nice to enjoy the event from the comfort of your couch after several hours of sitting in one place, your body can cry out for relief. If you know the feeling well, why not use the five-minute ad break to complete a quick workout (and yes, you don’t even have to leave your couch to do it!)?
You can get a full-body workout without missing an episode of your favourite TV series, with no equipment besides your body and the couch. From stretches to exercises, you can still move your body without having to take a step away from your sofa and prevent remaining sedentary for the entirety of the game.
Using your couch as a makeshift workout bench, you can perform basic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, or lunges to boost your energy levels and get your blood racing around your body. However, if the thought of squats makes you physically sick, consider completing a series of stretches that can help prevent post-game stiffness and ensure your keeping active.
Clear Your Inbox
Have you ever looked over a friend’s or family member’s shoulder while on their phone and saw a little red circle with an obscene number indicating the number of unread emails? It’s a life-altering moment, and to see your friend/family member using their phone so freely while that notification lingers in the corner of their phone is unsettling.
To prevent becoming one of these unhinged people, why not use the five-minute ad break during sports events to clear your inbox by getting rid of unread, nuisance emails, responding to others, and moving important ones into folders? Despite using our phones daily, sorting our emails feels like a gigantic, draining – and not to mention tedious – task.
And while this is true, you’ll be surprised how much you can tackle with a two to five-minute time crunch. Start at the bottom of your inbox (as these will likely be the ones you can get rid of due to their age), slowly work your way up, and get to work filing, deleting, responding, etc., if you reach an email that you’re not sure what to do with, you could leave it in your primary inbox and come back to it when you’re sure what to do with it.
Although not the most entertaining way to pass the time during commercial breaks, completing this small task will make managing and responding to correspondence much more straightforward and ensure you don’t get in a muddle further down the line.
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