Turner chief Kevin Reilly says original TNT dramas will continue to have shorter commercial breaks

Turner Entertainment Chief Kevin Reilly told reporters Sunday that the new paint job he promised for both the TNT and TBS networks is well underway, starting with a decrease in ad loads on TNT and embracing more creative ad opportunities.

“It’s been a very, very busy six months and a really exciting and fun six months,� Reilly said when he took the stage Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour on Sunday in Beverly Hills. “I told you when I was here last time that I’m going to give a fresh coat of paint to the brands and begin a process which will ultimately, I think, redefine what a television network is.�

The former Fox boss announced at January’s press tour that he’d be cutting the ad load on TNT’s forthcoming dramas by 50%, and reiterated his desire to increase and elevate the networks’ original output at TNT and TBS. Both networks are part of Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting unit.

Reilly, at the time, also stressed that the rebranding would take about three years to complete. He took on his new role, which also consists of serving as president of TNT and TBS, just under two years ago after more than half a decade at Fox.

Though Reilly acknowledged the paint would take a while to dry, he noted Sunday that early results are positive—particularly in regard to decreasing ad load on TNT.

TNT has experimented with reducing ad load per hour by up to 50%, increasing program time by eight to 10 minutes. While the number of ad breaks remain the same, they are shorter.

“Animal Kingdom,� which premiered in June, featured a reduced ad load. And upcoming dramas “Good Behavior,� “Alienist,� and “Will� will also feature fewer commercials.

Reilly said all future original TNT dramas will be sold with shorter commercial breaks. He said he hopes to bring the strategy over to TBS. But he also stressed it’s a shift that requires more participants if it’s to change the game.

“It’s been embraced by the advertising community and it’s being emulated by some competitors,� he said. “I can do both networks, 24 hours a day, but it’s not going to change [unless others join] or we’re going to have to go back.�

The executive also pointed out the creative advertising opportunities that have come from the tactic, including brand integration, such as Maya Rudolph singing a tampon ad during “Full Frontal.�

“It was an unbelievable success,� he said. “It got viewed. In fact, it retained almost a hundred percent of the audience on air and then went viral online. So if we can replicate anywhere near that … and we have messages that feel organic to the audience, then we’re really on to something.�

During his 30-minute Q&A, Reilly also downplayed the idea that TNT, which has long been known for crime procedurals with broad appeal, is totally abandoning the format in favor of edgier serialized dramas.

Perennial “Rizzoli & Isles� is about to sign off and Reilly has not picked up any dramas in the same vein in the time since he took on the job. But never say never.

“There is still an audience that likes a good closed-ended story,� he said, suggesting he could add a a procedural on the air in late 2017 or early 2018. “Those shows are a little harder to launch...[but] I really don’t think everything should be dark.�

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Twitter: @villarrealy

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