Advertising overload: Difference between revisions

In the late 2010s, there was a polarizing shift within the streaming service industry. New  streaming services like IMDB TV and [[Roku]] Television came onto the scene offering free streaming, with the caveat of ads.{{Citation needed|date=24 May 2026|reason=Wikipedia is not its own citation}} This inspired corporations who operated premium streaming services to do the same. In the early 2020s, paying users were forced to watch ads.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |author= |title=Ads on Netflix |url=https://help.netflix.com/en/node/126831 |website=[[Netflix]] |date= |access-date=24 May 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128131131/https://help.netflix.com/en/node/126831 |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref> Since then, users have only been reporting an increase in the amounts of ads<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=11 Sep 2021 |title=Share of adults who think there were too many ads on video streaming services in the United States as of September 2021, by generation |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1307619/video-streaming-advertising-frequency-by-generation-us/ |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=Statista |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260215212237/https://www.statista.com/statistics/1307619/video-streaming-advertising-frequency-by-generation-us/ |archive-date=15 Feb 2026}}</ref> that they watch on their services.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Daly |first=Scott |date=5 Jan 2025 |title=Amazon Prime Video Increases Ad Frequency In The US To Boost Revenue |url=https://9meters.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-prime-video-increases-advertisements-in-the-us-to-boost-revenue-increase-ad-free-signups |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=9meters |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250724175144/https://9meters.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-prime-video-increases-advertisements-in-the-us-to-boost-revenue-increase-ad-free-signups |archive-date=24 Jul 2025}}</ref> These premium providers, such as [[Netflix, Inc.|Netflix]],<ref name=":8" /> do offer versions of their services that are ad free at a higher cost. Consumers have labeled this practice as a form of extortion.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Roettgers |first=Janko |date=23 Sep 2023 |title=Why every streaming service wants you to watch ads now |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90956587/why-every-streaming-service-wants-you-to-watch-ads-now |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=Fast Company |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251127234258/https://www.fastcompany.com/90956587/why-every-streaming-service-wants-you-to-watch-ads-now |archive-date=27 Nov 2025}}</ref> Plex is one of the few services which only offer a paid, ad-supported version of its platform.<!-- I paid for Plex premium, but still get ads, and I cannot find out how to disable them -->  

====Youtube premium controversy====

Recent controversy has brought up cases in which YouTube Premium subscribers still see advertisements—contrary to the service's own highlighting of offering an ad-free experience. Users have reported both pre-roll ads and mid-roll ads, along with promotional content in the Home feed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reddit]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250615050502/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=15 Jun 2025}}</ref> In one prominent case, a user in Germany received an email from support at YouTube which said, in essence: "Sometimes promotional ads may appear for specific partnerships or limited-time offers," thereby hinting at the possibility of factors like location, viewing history, or special marketing efforts that could influence the event.