Roger Goodell Says NFL Will Speed Up Pace of Game, Change Commercial Structure

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is set to make a few changes that could increase the viewing experience for fans.

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the league will unveil plans in the coming days to improve commercial structures for TV broadcasts, in-game timing and replay reviews.

"What we're looking to do is take that down time out, which is not entertaining," Goodell said. "And in our research, we had biofeedback, so we could see what they were watching and you could tell when they’re not as interested in what’s happening in the broadcast."

He estimates these changes could shave five minutes off the average game time, which was three hours, seven minutes and eight seconds last year.

The restructure of commercials could be one of the more noticeable changes planned. Goodell wants to remove the two sets of breaks before and after kickoffs, which he referred to as "double-ups."

A reduction in the amount of commercial breaks and in-game advertising is also on the table.

Goodell provided a letter to fans explaining the extent of the plans, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

"All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action," the commissioner wrote.

With NFL ratings down 8 percent over the course of the 2016 season, per ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, these changes could help bring fans back into the fold.