Viewers Will Watch Many More Online Ads, Networks Say

The television industry is betting that viewers will watch many more online ads than they're currently shown, according to the New York Times' Brian Stelter.

Currently, sites like Hulu show just a few short ads per video. But Stelter writes that networks have conducted studies which show that viewers will watch around the same amount of content online no matter how many minutes of ads are inserted.

Turner, the parent company of TBS and TNT, conducted a test by sending a random set of viewers to a specially built online player on the two channels' sites. Some viewers were shown roughly a minute of ads per episode; others were shown 8 to 10 minutes; and the last group was shown 16 to 20 minutes. Even some viewers watching half-hour sitcoms were given 16 to 20 minutes of ads -- more than twice the amount they would see on television.

As Stelter writes, the results were surprising:

Viewers of 30-minute TBS sitcoms like "Meet the Browns" watched, on average, 40 percent of the episode, including the ads, if there was one minute of ads and 37 percent of the episode if there were 16 minutes of ads. Viewers of hourlong TNT shows like "Memphis Beat" watched 59 percent of the episode if there were one minute 15 seconds of ads, and 49 percent of the episode if there was 20 minutes of ads.

CW did a similar study, with similar results. These studies could encourage the networks to stuff their online videos with more ads than ever.

Would you be willing to watch a lot more ads in online videos? Tell us below.

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Comments

[Leviathan21]

11:26 AM on 11/27/2010

I hate it when they show you the ad, and then tell you that the player doesn't work in your region.

[bazokbros]

10:52 AM on 11/27/2010

First I find the results of this study highly highly suspect. This is nothing more than squeezing every bit of revenue possible. Almost the same as taxing everything possible. Supposedly justifying adding more ad content is the same as the cigarette industry conducting a study to see if people will smoke more cigarettes that have less carcinogens. Just a semi-clever way of letting people know its going to happen. Sites like HULU started off for a couple months as good, but now I won't watch anything on it because of the ads. HULU now is the worst of major broadcasting commercializing the internet. Now they want to start charging for watching their reruns.

Part of the appeal of watching content online is it is close to on-demand programming. To have to wait 30 seconds before I can watch something annoys me and half the time I won't watch it and go on to something else.

[moose and squirrel]

04:57 AM on 11/27/2010

not this cat.  a 30 second ad online feels like forever; i wont stick around for more.

[JamesAndre]

04:17 PM on 11/26/2010

The problem is the same mentality prevalent at the MPAA and the RIAA -- "We're going to shove our outdated methods down the consumer's throat until the only decent experience with our product is provided by criminals."

Advertising could easily be dramatically increased online, IF:

1. Advertising and video were served in an identical and efficient manner...

http://jamesi3m.posterous.com/networks-think-you-need-more-online-video-adv

[d0440er]

11:59 AM on 11/26/2010

I don't mind watching ads every once in a while, because I appreciate the fact that the networks are willing to stream the content to us. Although sites like mtv.com and the Daily Show really need to work on their video players. They make darn sure you see that ad crisp and clear, but then when it's time to roll out the feature, nothing but problems, problems, and more problems!

I've also got to say that I do not buy products from advertisers that are annoying and in your face. Take note, HP.

[dreadylocks]

10:47 AM on 11/26/2010

I don't mind ads (within reason), as long as the content is free. It's when I have to pay for content that I expect no ads. Which is why I've always considered cable to be a racket.

[moose and squirrel]

05:00 AM on 11/27/2010

years and years ago (ON tv or SelecTV, anyone?) there was no commercials on cable.  that was the idea of having a subscription.   today, not so much...

[dreadylocks]

09:03 AM on 11/27/2010

Now that you mention it, when I was growing up my great-grandma used to buy us a subscription to the Disney channel for Christmas every year and there were never any commercials. :)

[bluguy8]

09:02 AM on 11/26/2010

just a quick click and you won't

[reviewingthesituation]

08:21 AM on 11/25/2010

HuffPost has one of the worst -- a "blackout" pop-up that covers the entire screen and stays in place until you close it. And yet, the solution is so simple. Advertisers should make ads that are pleasant, appealing or amusing. I remember an ad for a mattress that had such bewitching music and visuals I acturally looked forward to it. And they must not repeat the same ad again and again during the same show. Even the most artful ad becomes Chinese water torture after too much exposure. If all this wasn't self-evident, look at the number of viral videos that people replay for their own amusement and then share with their friends.

So, yes, I would tolerate more ads to get away from a voracious cable company that makes me pay for channels I don't watch and raises rates every year simply because they can. But vendors wanting to sell me something should avoid shooting themselves in the foot and pay for quality advertising.

[Species5618]

12:10 AM on 11/25/2010

Well, the problem is that most of the time you can't get past the online ads. If you're watching videos and an ad pops up first, you can't fast forward it and you can't skip over it and if you steer away from it, it's still there when you go back to the video. What a dumb article.

[Shaun Hensley]

11:53 PM on 11/25/2010

I use ad time to work in another window.

[Raduloket]

10:54 PM on 11/24/2010

I don't mind a few ads but I can't stand the interactive ads that are way too loud and force you to reset fullscreen every commercial break. CBS.com is the worst offender with their Facebook-abled ad that has the volume at max while showing a bunch of people in a loud, crowded line outside a club. If they're planning on dumping more of those on online watchers, watch how fast I switch back to downloading shows from torrent sites.

[axt113]

10:08 PM on 11/24/2010

I prefer to torrent

[lvdragonlady]

09:28 PM on 11/24/2010

In their dreams. I never watch ads no matter where they are.

[iamsamh2]

05:36 PM on 11/24/2010

Hulu is starting to get annoying with the additional ads they're running. Willing to watch? Hardly. I watch the ads because I have no choice. I can't forward past them. I almost think it's better to wait for the show to hit 'instant view' on Netflix and marathon a whole season commercial-free.

[StopMakingSense2]

03:20 PM on 11/24/2010

They forget what DVR's did to broadcast and cable advertising. They think this wont happen on a PC with the software possibilities? Wanna bet?

[moose and squirrel]

05:03 AM on 11/27/2010

theres plenty of streaming video capture software out there.  trim off the commercials in iMovie and you're done

[Greygolla]

02:25 PM on 11/24/2010

Trust them to stuff the Golden Goose, not so much that it croaks, but just to the point of diminishing returns.