TV 2 commentator Marius Skjelbæk received heavy criticism from the top of Kjetil Try’s advertising after the weekend’s cross-country skiing broadcast.

“Change jobs I thought when the commenters came Television 2 said the following during the men’s sprint on Saturday: – Sorry, but now it’s a commercial,” wrote Kjetil Try, the man behind the advertising agency of the same name, in a post on Facebook.

On the eve of Saturday’s broadcast on TV 2 of the World Cup with cross-country skiing, Skjelbæk announced the last commercial break in the broadcast. But then, there were two more commercial breaks, and then TV 2 commentators apologized to viewers.

“It’s okay to be distracted by ad interruptions, I get them often myself, but when you choose to work on TV 2, it’s actually the ads that pay your salary,” Try wrote.

Campaign mentioned the problem first. VG has contacted Kjetil Try. He did not want to elaborate further on the criticism.

Former TV 2 profiler Oddvar Stenstrøm commented on Try’s post:

– Idiot comment by TV reporter 2. Gotta get fucked! Stenstrøm wrote.

Marius Skjelbæk has faced the criticism and also commented on the post on Facebook.

– I know that this weekend’s sprint will be marked by a commercial break at an inopportune time. When one noticed the anger, frustration, and overwhelming reactions, it would be arrogant and inhumane not to acknowledge the situation. Contracts with viewers are, after all, our most important mission, Skjelbæk told VG.

Skjelbæk has been commenting on cross-country skiing on TV 2 since 2017, and says he has never said “sorry we ran a commercial”.

– But only on Saturday it ruined the racing experience. And a misunderstanding caused me to announce the final commercial break. When it turned out that two new breaks were planned during the sprint, I owe the viewers an apology. And I wear it over my coat, says Skjelbæk.

VG has also reached out to TV 2 Vegard sports editor Jansen Hagen. He has made no secret of the fact that they had a better weekend at work.

– There was a genuine sigh of relief from the commenter in the phase where everything was going well. This is tolerated by TV 2 and advertisers. We’re not apologizing for advertising in general, it’s our livelihood, but for the cancellations on Saturday in particular. It’s about being on a team with the audience and recognizing when we can do a better job, Jansen Hagen tells VG.

On social media, TV 2 received a lot of criticism due to the large number of commercials during cross-country broadcasts.

– On Saturday it was a sloppy flight. Sundays are more stylish. Sometimes it’s hard to end a commercial when there’s a lot of sporting action, and we felt that on Saturday. We need a lift on sunday. Then we deliver the product that skis, advertisers and viewers deserve, says Jansen Hagen.

– How was the reaction from the viewers?

– Sports viewers don’t mind asking when they’ve had a worse-than-expected experience, so we heard back on Saturday. That’s very fair. On Sunday, we had strong viewership numbers and good broadcasts. It didn’t produce stormy cheers in the inbox, but after Saturday’s silence it was a win, said Jansen Hagen.