Adverts before shows

[Anonymous User]

I signed up for 3 months, on a reduced rate, just to watch Game of Thrones.

I did not sign up for adverts before the shows I want to watch. What gives NowTV (Sky) the right to make me sit through several minutes of adverts before I can watch a show?

I've paid for a service. I do not expect to see adverts. This is not ITV or Channel 4. It is a paid subscription service.

Please advise on how to remove these adverts from my paid TV service.

[Anonymous User]

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@Anonymous User wrote:

I signed up for 3 months, on a reduced rate, just to watch Game of Thrones.

I did not sign up for adverts before the shows I want to watch. What gives NowTV (Sky) the right to make me sit through several minutes of adverts before I can watch a show?

I've paid for a service. I do not expect to see adverts. This is not ITV or Channel 4. It is a paid subscription service.

Please advise on how to remove these adverts from my paid TV service.

When did they start showing 'several minutes of adverts'? Up to now all I've saw pre-show are short promos for an upcoming Sky show/sporting event.

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[gavs82008]

At most I think it’s been about 30 seconds perhaps up to a minute of the trailer/advert. 

That being said miles better than Sky TV on PS4 and Sky Go.

[Anonymous User]

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@gavs82008 wrote:

At most I think it’s been about 30 seconds perhaps up to a minute of the trailer/advert. 

That being said miles better than Sky TV on PS4 and Sky Go.

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Thanks.

I had a feeling the OP was wildly exaggerating re the length of these so called 'adverts' 

[RoyB]

I just picked a programme at random, and timed the gap from selecting it to having it actually start.

45 seconds, Ted Bundy trailer.

I think the ones that trail three shows are longer than this, so a minute seems possible.

But it is well known that your time perception slows down both for stuff that you aren’t enjoying, and for stuff that is making you wait for the stuff you plan to enjoy.

So these trails are a double whammy, with a relative time perception of about three minutes of the programme you came for, when you finally get into it.

I haven’t yet seen a trail for anything that made me want to watch it, but I have seen plenty that make me want to throw my cuddly toy out of the pram and at the TV...

[Anonymous User]

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@RoyB wrote:

I just picked a programme at random, and timed the gap from selecting it to having it actually start.

45 seconds, Ted Bundy trailer.

I think the ones that trail three shows are longer than this, so a minute seems possible.

But it is well known that your time perception slows down both for stuff that you aren’t enjoying, and for stuff that is making you wait for the stuff you plan to enjoy.

So these trails are a double whammy, with a relative time perception of about three minutes of the programme you came for, when you finally get into it.

I haven’t yet seen a trail for anything that made me want to watch it, but I have seen plenty that make me want to throw my cuddly toy out of the pram and at the TV...

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I'd still prefer the trailer to appear BEFORE the programme than the way Universal handle it via a BT Youview sub where the trailer appears in the MIDDLE of the show without warning. 

Somehow I feel trailers are going to be something we'll have to learn to put up with as time goes on and streaming gets ever more prevalent.

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

If we don’t stick out against trailers at the start of programmes, they will feel able to inflict more and more of such extraneous stuff on us that our remotes will not let us skip, and things will get worse.

We must not let this be the thin end of a very slippery slope.

[Anonymous User]

I totally agree with you @RoyB but I don't think we can stop it happening. I'm not in favour of the trailers and only mentioned Universal on Youview to compare where trailers are inserted. That's why I say that if I have no choice but to watch these trailers I'd prefer them pre-show and not during it.

The trailers on Universal, or should I say trailer because it's usually the same damn one, come up without warning as most times they dont even show the channel or programme splash screen before launching into their promo.

Within the past few months Netflix have been trialling non-skippable promos on a small number of opted in customer devices, hence my belief that they are to become more and more widespread across streaming platforms.

My concern is that these promos, once they have become implemented fully into these services, will turn into proper product advertising a la 'normal' tv broadcast channels 

[Anonymous User]

Thanks all for your replies.

It seems to me that this is going to be typical behavior for this entertainment provider. As such, I will not be continuing my subscription, which will lapse at the end of the deal.

I simply cannot condone paying for a service and being made to watch these adverts.

Do you remember when you purchased/rented a DVD and could not skip the endless adverts? It's not much different.

[Anonymous User]

Totally agree, If you're paying for the service you shouldn't be forced to watch adverts. Even if it is only a few seconds it's the concept that's annoying. Even youtube doesn't show adverts when you pay for their service.

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User @Anonymous User 

Most frustrating the skip advert is available on iPad Now TV app, but not any other device. 

[Anonymous User]

Cancelled my subscription because I am not going to be subjected to daft advertising. Paid for a subscription so I can log on and watch a few things. Nope I am not interested Now Tv

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User 

Are you referring to third party advertising or Now TV promos?

[Anonymous User]

The third party adverts. Very annoying so I have cancelled my subscription as I am happy with Netflix and Amazon. You can skip any promos on there and they don’t have third party adverts. You can’t even skip them on Now TV. I know it’s only 30-45 seconds but I refuse to have to watch it.

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User 

So you can get shot of third party advertising by getting Boost.

https://help.nowtv.com/article/can-i-watch-without-ads

[Anonymous User]

No thanks. You pay for a subscription and then have to pay more to get rid of adverts.Thanks but not for me.