Pre Roll Ads WITH Boost

[Amiga1200]

Has anyone else started getting pre roll adverts even though you are paying for boost? I've just spent 5 minutes battling with my NowTV stick to begin a movie. After about 10 attempts to watch a movie and it showing me an advert instead which I immediately quit back to menu from, it eventually granted me permission to watch what I am paying for.

Just to be clear. As far as I'm concerned the following ARE adverts:

Adverts for third party products.

Adverts for other items on NowTv. NowTv may call these trailers. They are not. If I choose to play them they are trailers. If they autoplay when I choose to watch other content I'm paying for they ARE adverts. This is what I was getting.

Another thing I've noticed is my movies offer of £5.99 a month has seemingly been reduced to £3.99. Not sure if this is to offset the boost price hike so people don't hit cancel all when boost goes up or just due to the lack of new premiers. Might be worth checking how much your next payment is.

I wonder if this means that paying for boost no longer means you won't get adverts, it just means you get 5.1, HD and can stream on more than 1 device. 

[RoyB]

@Amiga1200 

The BBC aren’t allowed to show adverts, but they do show trailers.

Clearly, this is not a distinction that you are allowed to blur unilaterally.

You might want to request of Now that they provide a Skip option for trailers, like the BBC iPlayer does.

[Amiga1200]

I've just tried to watch various shows and movies this morning, ones I have never watched and others I have often just in case it's based on viewing habits. No adverts this morning on my Boost enabled account. 

I assume either it was an error or the Boost adverts are going to be shown either after a particular time or on specific peak viewing nights. I'll have to test my other devices when the adverts come again to see if any are excluded from ads. I was using a NowTv stick last night.

Maybe it's linked to the price hike on boost and the one device limit. If you cancel Boost because you're getting adverts, you can't use NowTv in more than one room with out moving your device around. 

[gavs82008]

@Amiga1200 

You mentioned your boost enabled account?

How many accounts are you using to watch NOW with? 

If it’s more than one for whatever reason you’ll need to ensure those accounts also have Boost to have “third party” advert free on demand viewing of NOW content.

[Amiga1200]

Hi Gav,

I only have one account. I was just pointing out that I have Boost on my account which up until last night meant I don't get adverts. 

It's either an error or they are phasing in adverts on boost accounts for when the 1 device limit comes in. This would mean the benefits of Boost are using it on multiple devices, such as living room, phone, bedroom along with 5.1 and HD but you will now get adverts. 

Out of curiosity have you noticed any of your on offer packages have reduced in price now that Boost is going up? 

I was ready to cancel all last night when I started getting unskippable ads so went into my packages and noticed movies had dropped in price.

I'll see if this was just a test, an error or if they are doing peak viewing time per user based ads now.

[gavs82008]

@Amiga1200 

Ah right I get you now. 

Well I can’t comment as I was on a 4 month bulk buy for both movies and entertainment which was due to expire in July. When I went to “cancel” to stop me getting the full price I got offers of £3.99 for both memberships. Currently on boost of £1 until August anyway. So right now I’m not really effected.

Ever since boost came around last year I got it applied and only removed it when I cancelled my other memberships. Each time I get a movie and entertainment membership I make sure to get boost because of the 1080p and 5.1 aspect, the thought of watching in 720p and stereo again is just not even on the table. 

The fact they are pumping in third party adverts to non boost members is almost identical to how Comcast operates Peacock. So to me it’s no real surprise. 

When I’ve been watching New Amsterdam and Catfish I’ve not seen any adverts of any kind. Even when we occasionally watch a film we are saved from adverts. 

[Amiga1200]

I've had movies on some kind of offer for about a year now and added Boost after getting a £1 for three months deal then just let it ride as I have a 5.1 setup and a 58 inch TV so wanted HD.

They offered me entertainment at a discount and then extended it 6 months. I dropped movies for a month when there were no offers but then got a 6 months for £5.99 deal. That's now dropped to £3.99 it would seem.

To be honest I'd rather just get a decent long term offer and pay it in one go like Prime. You commit to 6 months, pay for 6 months, get it cheap kind of thing. 

You can see why some people complain about getting a different price to others like F1 fans. I guess the offers are loyalty and 'length of service' related.

I'll have to see how the adverts pan out on my service. I might just end up with Prime and Disney as the Now content doesn't stand out like it used to. Time will tell.

[gavs82008]

@Amiga1200 

Wouldn’t say it’s anything to do with loyalty.

Saying this because I’ve been a customer for 6 years. 
Up until COVID and all the hassle NOW had with the cancellation of sporting events they offered annual memberships on all of their TV packages. Because of COVID I think they dropped the annual payments. 
Slowly they have been returning but at most it’s only been on cinema and entertainment memberships, whereas the sports is a discounted rate for each month, 

Adverts in streaming services is nothing new in the US, Paramount+, Hulu and Peacock all have them and to get rid of adverts you pay a higher fee. It’s only bad here because we’ve been lucky to not have that, although because Comcast (Peacock) owning Sky and NOW the business model changes. And customers like us just have to put up with or cancel and go elsewhere. 

If the prices or content is justified then I’ll be staying, otherwise I’m gone. Right now it’s the former and not the latter.

[Anonymous User]

I’ve had Boost for about a month now and I get an ad for anything I watch. When it came out, I thought it was a scam and how stupid I feel now after knowing I was right.

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User 

Is it promos for content from NOW or third pert adverts such as Tesco?

If it’s the former then that’s how the system works.