What’s with all the ads for a paid streaming service?!

[Nattyc]

Took a break from Now, come back and it’s full of ads! Surely if you’re paying for a streaming service you shouldn’t be inundated with ads every time you watch something? No other service that I can think of bombards you with ads when you’re paying?! I’ve cancelled and heading back to Netflix!

[redchiz1]

You can add the optional Boost which gives you Full HD, 5.1 surround on most devices, the ability to view on more than one device at a time and removes ads from On Demand content. 

[Saint1976]

Head back to Netflix but be aware they are introducing ads as well. Discovery+ has ads, paramount+ will have ads, Amazon are mulling having ads. 

Give it a year and all streaming services will have ads. It's just Sky/Comcast got there first.

[redchiz1]

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@Saint1976 wrote:

 Amazon are mulling having ads. 

Ooh, that's a new one on me, source?

[Saint1976]

@redchiz1 nothing specific but lots of anecdotal evidence on various reddit threads the last few months. Alleged Amazon employees within the threads confirming they are looking at a number of options, and the users reporting ads are part of limited real world tests in the US on Amazon Fire TV's. The various reports are - unskipable trailers, banner ads on the homepage, an ad on opening the app. The theory is Amazon will heavily subsidise their own brand products at the cost of you seeing ads or paying to remove them.

Ads have already been rolled out to new Kindle devices although you can opt out by making a one time payment.

 

[redchiz1]

Kindle with ads support have been around for years. Trailers, pre-ads etc. are not in the same league as regular ad breaks. 

[Saint1976]

Yes they've been around for years but they are removing the option of what you buy. All devices will ship with ads as standard with the rumours it will eventually be across all Amazon branded devices, TV's, firesticks, echo's.

As for trailers you only have to see how people react here to paying for boost and still getting unskipable trailers. I'm sure the reaction will be the same if Amazon go the same way and I have no desire to watch a film and have a banner appear across the bottom of the screen with an ad on it. 

All that before they get to roll out virtual product placement and bombarded us with ads within actual films/TV shows that you don't even realise are specific to you.

Meh, any way, the point was to OP that it won't matter where they go in the future, you'll get ads whether you pay for the service or not.

[redchiz1]

Meh, you have always been able to get a Kindle cheaper with ad support. Where are this new ads policy you mentioned on Prime TV? Where are these "rumours?" Not good enough, sorry.

And have you never been to the pictures?  It would drive you mad, the trailers and ads before the main feature. 

[chilli2]

The difference here is that the talk of adds on the likes of Netlix, Amazon, Disney etc is part of a cheaper service , and not the full service

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Netflix to launch cheaper ad-supported subscription tier in November. Netflix will reportedly launch a cheaper ad-supported tier for its streaming platform at the start of November as the company tries to stem the loss of more than 1 million subscribers in 2022

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[chilli2]

Source : https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/sep/05/netflix-to-launch-cheaper-ad-supported-subscription-in...

[gavs82008]

@chilli2 

Disney aren’t making their advert free subscription cheaper. For no adverts it will cost more than the current price.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/disney-plus-ads-price-rise-b2142931.html?amp

[redchiz1]

So the pay extra for no ads model is effectively becoming the norm? Disney+ is still barking value by the way, compared to others. 

[Mark_Weinreb]

@redchiz1 

Amazon Prime already have ads on their FreeVee streaming service, even with a Prime subscription. This could be them putting their feet in the water to judge the reaction.

[redchiz1]

Indeed, I know, but that's not what I inferred from the earlier comment.