‘Pause Ads’ Creep Onto Hulu, Peacock and Max as Streamers Seek New Revenue::Big streaming services like Hulu, Max and Peacock are relying more heavily on ‘pause ads’ that show up when a user halts a binge session

  • 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com
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    8 months ago

    That seems like one of the less intrusive ways to fit ads in anyway, sure, try to sell diabetes supplies to my dog while I’m taking a shit, see if I care.

    • BlackPenguins@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Except when I’m pausing to read something in the background of the scene and find Easter eggs. Fuck peacock for doing that.

      • jasondj@ttrpg.network
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        8 months ago

        “Wait, did the mother of dragons have a fucking starbucks?”

        Rewind…Play…

        “Ahh there it is”…Pause…Starbucks ad.

  • thrawn@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Being in advertising “r&d” for these companies must be the easiest job in the world. All you have to do is insert ads into every possible slot (oftentimes just following another example), wait for consumers to roll over and pay for it, then do it again in six months. Freest money ever since consumers will take every blow they’re dealt and just keep paying for it no matter how bad the product becomes. Some day they’ll perfect the art and blast ads in the middle of the screen with the actual show in the top letterbox— reserving the bottom letterbox for buy it now buttons— and they’ll get fired like everyone else. But until then, easiest paycheck in the world

    • akakevbot@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      Yup. Currently work at an ad tech company and we just pushed a new ad surface and the executives freaking loved it. It adds on additional revenue without putting any of the current revenue at risk. Internally, the narrative was super positive while externally it was “Well, that’s kind of annoying”.

      So long as user engagement doesn’t totally tank, they see it as a complete win.

  • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    Pause ads seem much less annoying than regular ads so sure, do that, don’t care when the show is paused

    • Objects in Space@infosec.pub
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      8 months ago

      I was subscribed to paramount+ for Star Trek, and occasionally I’d pause to catch Easter eggs or read something on the screen, get a better look at a ship, etc - but all I could see was a shirtless man selling me old spice. It was actually really frustrating.

      • stepanzak@iusearchlinux.fyi
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        8 months ago

        They could have definitely implemented it better. What comes to my mind is showing the ad only when the shiw is stopped and mouse was inactive for 5 seconds. This way, you could just jiggle your mouse a little when trying to catch those easter eggs. Not ideal, but much better than regular ads IMO.

        • ReallyActuallyFrankenstein@lemmynsfw.com
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          8 months ago

          That’s a reasonable compromise, but it’s actually in direct conflict with the ad-sales team’s goals because they want to verify to advertisers that you are actually watching. Which means it’s unlikely to happen.

    • Darkhoof@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      They seem less annoying now. Just wait until you have pause ads coupled with regular ads!