Commercials are a necessary evil, financially fueling our favorite programs and sporting events we can't imagine being without. However, with the incredible amount of time being dedicated to watch the commercials—as much as 32 percent of a half hour show as of 2013—it's hard to stay concentrated on the story and subject matter. Continuity slips away.
The source was able to find some shows in 1952 and measured their average commercial break to be about 13 percent, or four minutes out of every half hour. That makes for some seriously uninterrupted television time.
Nowadays we live in fear of many types of advertisements, not just the ones that pull us away from a show. Television station logos sit in the corner of the screen, a constant reminder of who's providing your show, and product placement invades even the most complex story lines.
