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Hulu, AT&T To Test 'Pause Ads' In 2019, Automatically Playing Commercials When You Hit Pause (macrumors.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from MacRumors: Streaming TV services offered by companies like Hulu and AT&T are testing the waters for a new type of advertising called "pause ads." The idea behind pause ads is that instead of facing forced commercial breaks at specified interludes, users would be more accepting of ads that play when they choose to pause a show for a bit while they do something else. Hulu says it plans to launch pause ads in 2019, but not much else was given in the way of details regarding which of its numerous streaming plans will include the new type of commercial. The plan likely to see pause ads is Hulu With Limited Commercials, which interjects a few ads throughout a show's runtime, similar to live TV, but again this hasn't been confirmed.
AT&T cited similar interest in pause ads, stating that it also plans to launch technology in 2019 that plays a video when a user pauses a TV show. For both companies, it's unclear exactly how long these ads will run for, and if you'll be able to immediately cancel them out by simply hitting the play button and resuming your TV show. According to Hulu vice president and head of advertising platforms Jeremy Helfand, pause ads will not be home to longform advertisements, but will instead focus on commercials where advertisers "have seconds" to deliver a message effectively. Over the next three years, Hulu expects "more than half" of its advertising revenue to come from these so-called non-disruptive experiences.
AT&T cited similar interest in pause ads, stating that it also plans to launch technology in 2019 that plays a video when a user pauses a TV show. For both companies, it's unclear exactly how long these ads will run for, and if you'll be able to immediately cancel them out by simply hitting the play button and resuming your TV show. According to Hulu vice president and head of advertising platforms Jeremy Helfand, pause ads will not be home to longform advertisements, but will instead focus on commercials where advertisers "have seconds" to deliver a message effectively. Over the next three years, Hulu expects "more than half" of its advertising revenue to come from these so-called non-disruptive experiences.
users would be more accepting of ads that play when they choose to pause a show for a bit while they do something else.
And how much do they expect advertisers to pay for ads that people are guaranteed not be watching - because they're doing something else?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
They are just wanting to waste your bandwidth and charge you MORE.
IDIOTS with pointy hats!
This is really easy, if there are forced ads I will attempt to block or skip them. If that's not possible I will skip the content. I've been spoiled by DVR, downloads, ad-free streaming, and other methods of viewing shows without ads. I'm not going back to watching ads ever.
So I won't be able to freeze it if I want to take a look at a shot. Great! Can't wait.
The absolute #1 reason why I pause a show is because of a phone call or talk to a person in the room with me. The entire point is to take attention away from the TV, AND TO CANCEL ALL AUDIO INTERRUPTIONS. So now they want to take that control away? Meaning now instead of just a "pause", I must now "pause and then mute"? Yeah, it may seem like nitpickiness, but it is enough to deter me from even considering to use their services when there are alternative services that don't have these pitfalls.
And how much do they expect advertisers to pay for ads that people are guaranteed not be watching
Isn't that pretty much the case today? Seems like I already get a lot of ads I am not looking at already. :-)
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
#PauseMeansPause
You realize half the time you are pausing is for a phone call, or to listen to someone interrupting your show, and all of a sudden now you're turning down/off the volume instead because pausing it no longer helps you hear whoever is interrupting you.
This seems like a half baked idea from people who don't understand their target demographic, or the technical limitations of their cocaine fueled bad ideas.
Any kind of advertising is basically a rape of the eyes and ears. There *is* no non-disruptive advertising.
Bandwidth is expensive where I live. Nowf I have to pay to see the ads they're wanting to shove down my throat?
Uh, when I hit pause it's because I'm answering the phone or something and I need quiet. So now I must hit pause AND mute? This would frustrate me to no end. It's funny how every 'development' with regards to playing video just pushes people further into piracy.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
You want to know something funny? I was actually looking for an excuse to cancel Hulu last night. I was flipping through hulu last night noting there was nothing on there I wanted to watch. The only reason I didn't cancel it was because I wanted to finish out Lastman Standing.
Amazing how things can change in 24 hours.
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
If you can afford it, please do the world a favor and keep your subscription for another couple of months, until the feature goes live. If you cancel now, you're part of the baseline cancellation numbers. If you cancel after this goes into effect, you're part of the "cancelled after X" cohort. If that cohort is big enough, compared to the baseline, they'll walk it back.
So, cancelling now makes this feature look more popular to statistics than if you never cancelled.
We know this works because Hulu tried making iDevices not output video over HDMI. They saw higher cancellation raters among people who "upgraded" to that client. It was so bad, they rolled back that "feature", and HDMI output works again.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Agreed. My very first thought was that ads while paused was a creative alternative to other revenue sources. (Unfortunately, film crews don't work for free - not the crews who produce good shows).
As you said the audio thing is the catch. If I hit pause, quite often I want the thing to be quiet because I'm answering a call or whatever. This would be a good time to put up a still photo ad, like you'd have in a magazine or on a billboard.
keep it up, guys.
it just shows me, continually, that the pirate bay is the only way I'm going to consume media, from now on.
the so-called proper sources want to annoy you, to NO END. literally, no end; the war on your sanity has no end. marketing and sales people have no souls.
and so, I've given up even trying to 'play by the rules'.
you'll get no money from me. enjoy your advertising-filled world. I want no part of it and I'll use all the tech I can to filter your bullshit from my view.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
I just checked pricing for HBO. For just a one channel it's $15/month, plus you have to buy a service that offers HBO as an optional add-on. No thanks. Not for me.
I'd rather have a picture of Tide show up when I pause the video, rather than pay $15/month per channel.