Ads are everywhere on streaming services as companies come to realize that the old cable model of selling commercial space to make money was actually a pretty good model. For consumers and subscribers, it means higher prices and more advertisements before, during, and after titles. Even if you pay more money to go ad-free, you’re still likely to see sponsored content or recommendations from the streamer that are simply ads in disguise.
The future looks dim. Ads are only going to get more intrusive and insidious, and a couple of big companies in Netflix and Amazon are leading the charge. Here’s what you can expect in the months and years to come.
Dynamic in-show advertisements
Shows and movies will feature specialized product placement
Perhaps most dreadful of all will be the coming-in-show ads catering to your personal interests and habits. These ads are not commercial breaks, but instead ads that will appear within a show or movie, presenting themselves as a seamless integration within what you’re watching. It may be a billboard or a poster in the background, or product labels on items used by characters within the show. These are not static creations, like a character ordering a specific beer in a movie, but instead dynamic technology that will alter items within the show so that they can directly appeal to you.
These ads are going to be exhausting. It’s worse than product placement, which at the best of times can feel pretty seamless. These ads are surely going to take viewers out of the experience; even knowing they are possible will be disrupting. There is no way something like this can truly be seamless or innocuous, in part because they won’t be designed to be subtle. They will be designed to stand out so that you are always on alert, and always ready to buy something.
Personalized, relevant ads will be everywhere
AI-generated commercials will target your interests
Prime Video is already testing ads with a greater personalized focus, using your location as a means to sell you specific products and services. These are similar to ads you might hear during podcast that are local or specific, perhaps related to something you’ve searched for online or a popular neighborhood service or product. Now they are coming to your TV.
It’s worth paying extra money to subscribe to ad-free tiers. They are priced higher because companies would much prefer you to be inunadated with ads that make them more money.
In general, this process, of audience segmentation means more personalized ads coming to your screen. Because there is so much data collected on so many people, advertisers have a good idea of what you like and what you purchase. You will be specifically targeted with ads that are increasingly relevant, and it’s going to be harder to look away.
Subtle commercials and pause-screen options
Ads will be ubiquitous and sneaky
Another way ads may start to creep into your daily entertainment even more is during the pause screen. Netflix in particular has discussed the idea of bringing in ads within programming at times when viewers will pause their shows. These ads aren’t generic, either. They will be AI-generated spots that specifically target your interests; they may be about the show you’re watching, bringing you to related products, or in support of other programs on the streaming services. The idea of ads during a pause break means there is even less opportunity to escape ads, especially when they are already coming at intervals during programming.
Another concern about such ads during shows is that they will start to match the aesthetic and tone of what you’re watching. A clever plot by advertisers in the past was to put out commercials that audiences weren’t sure were commercials, that felt like the show they were watching was still on. That’s going to be more common as ads can be generated more easily. Because Netflix and others know you don’t always fully pay attention to what you’re streaming, it’s going to become easier to sneak in ads when you’re not completely aware.
Shop and interact with ads and shows
Buy what you see on screen in one quick click
One last type of ad to be aware of is the interactive, shoppable options that will be coming very soon, especially on Amazon Prime. It’s not enough to get you interested in a product or service; streamers are going to make it easy as possible to purchase it impulsively, as soon as possible.
Prime Video is in a great spot to do this because the streaming service is linked to the marketplace. The idea is that you can see an ad for something on the screen and quickly click on it to put it in your cart. You’ll be able to passively shop while streaming titles on Prime. While interactive ads will pop up on a lot of streaming services, users are also going to see options to buy things they see in shows. Clolthing, accessoires, and even trips or resort stays may be clickable and shoppable on certain titles so that viewers can style themselves and travel like their favorite characters.
