Side-by-side is a type of split-screen presentation format used on television broadcasts, particularly as a means of continuing to show a view of ongoing live content, whilst simultaneously airing commercials alongside them.
The practice was initially synonymous with sporting events, with TBS first using the format in a 2000 NASCAR Cup Series race.
Sometimes, a small graphic showing the lap count and leaders' names accompanies the square, or the normal ticker is still shown in the layout.
However, following heavy criticism from fans (at times cutting off the commentators when they were in the middle of sentences), ESPN televised the remaining races of the season with no commercial breaks during live broadcasts, starting from the Bahrain Grand Prix.
NASCAR on TNT used a modified split-screen format for their broadcast of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona branded as "Wide-Open Coverage"; the running order ticker and all on-screen graphics were displayed in an enlarged panel at the button of the screen (race footage was displayed on the top portion of the screen).
[11] Fox also experimented with a similar format during American Idol, where selected breaks showcased behind-the-scenes camera feeds from the live broadcast[12] In 2017, Fox introduced a similar presentation for short-form, in-game commercials displayed in the midst of a telecast, which are acknowledged and introduced by the commentator.
As the network has historically used feeds and commentary from the British F1 rightsholder, TSN began to use a similar format in 2009 after its domestic rights moved from ITV to the BBC (which did not air commercials).
Side-by-side commercial breaks have sometimes been used by news channels to accommodate live, uninterrupted images of an ongoing or anticipated event.
[15][16] Side-By-Side and its similar counterparts have been generally received with positive reviews from viewers, sponsors, and sanctioning bodies.
[11] In February 2022 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, CNN faced criticism on social media for segueing from footage of air raid sirens ringing over the Ukraine capital of Kyiv, to a split-screen between a live shot of the city and an upbeat Applebee's commercial.