Streaming with ads: a popular but still frustrating model

According to a recent study by the advertising agency Freewheel, owned by Comcast, more and more Europeans are using video streaming as their primary source of television, and 83% of users say they are satisfied with the viewing experience. Ads are getting on subscribers' nerves… 73% cite the availability of content they like as the main advantage of streaming, and 63% mention value for money. The study also reveals that 85% of users subscribe to an option that includes ads. And 49% admit to having deliberately chosen this option when subscribing. However, compared to traditional TV, users of ad-supported options are more likely (+10%) to consider ads more intrusive. 39% of them notice that ads are triggered at inopportune moments, in the middle of a dialogue, for example. And 55% say they see the same ads repeatedly. Furthermore, 72% of users say that ad relevance hasn't improved or has even worsened in the last five years. And more than half are open to AI playing a role in choosing which ads appear.