In a matter of a few months we have gone from watching streaming fluidly and without any type of impediment to encountering advertisements that have changed the viewing experience. In some cases, we remember the days of DVD fondly, in others, we relive the nightmare that was, in the past, watching services like Crunchyroll with ads when there was no other way to watch anime streaming. Now the expansion of another type of advertisement is confirmed.
Pause Screen Ads
This is a “new” form of advertising that has made the leap to the YouTube app on Smart TV in recent days and that, of course, has generated all kinds of opinions. It must be said that we had been testing the platform for months, so it is not something that surprises us too much (we even told you about it a few months ago). Users are a little tired of finding so many advertisements around it, although it cannot be said that it is something new on YouTube, where advertising has always been the norm.
In any case, this type of advertisement is not limited to YouTube, but has already been seen in the United States on different streaming platforms. It’s something that users have become accustomed to on Peacock, Hulu, and also on Max, something that possibly we will meet in the future (Not for now, because Max arrives without advertising). The platforms, as they have recognized on some occasions, see this type of advertisement as a non-intrusive way to take advantage of their services and satisfy advertisers.
What will be the reaction of users?
We have to ask ourselves if this type of advertisement is as non-invasive as they say or if, in reality, it will give us headaches or complicate the experience that streaming services offer us. It is true that, to a certain extent, when we pause a video We are not using TV and, in a way, we should not care if some type of advertising is shown. But, in certain circumstances, it is not what we want to see.
Experiencing this type of advertisement, in some cases, is annoying. If we have paused the video to do something that requires concentration or because we are busy with something else, it will be unlikely that we will find it funny that there is a static image on the screen with advertising. Yes, it’s just an image, at least for now, but that doesn’t mean it gets any less attention. After all, if brands are happy with it, it is because they know that it attracts the attention of users.
By coming across this advertising we can become so distracted or distracted that we even lose the desire to continue watching what we had playing. In other cases, it may make us divert our attention from the important thing we were going to do. There are also many users who claim that it is a type of advertising that doesn’t matter to them, because if they have paused the video it is because they are not going to pay any attention to the screen. In that kind of case, you probably don’t mind if your streaming service makes a little profit by showing some ads. Finally, a study published in recent days by the Video Advertising Bureau has highlighted that pause screen ads are having great popularity and a high level of interaction.
Unfortunately, just because this new type of ad is introduced in streaming or on YouTube does not mean that the number of ads shown at other times will be reduced. In the end, If this volume of advertising continues to grow, could create a feeling of discomfort among users. The truth is that streaming ads are still a relatively new phenomenon and we will have to see how they evolve until they are fully accepted by the user community.
