HBO Max house ads are outdated and are just pissing off the viewer
Streaming services should rely more on house ads. They’re a great way to drive viewership for a show, offering a better discovery experience than just tile cover art.
Netflix, especially, would benefit from this as so much of the discovery experience is baked into the platform with, what seems to be, far lower marketing spend per title.
I’ve appreciated the house ads on Prime Video over the years, with the service pushing a mix of newer and older titles, keeping the experience to a tight burst at the start of episodes.
What I don’t appreciate is the house ad experience on HBO Max. I’m a subscriber with ads, which means over the past week as I have been binge-watching through Entourage (please, any judgment you have pales compared to the self-criticism I am subjecting myself to), I have seen mid-episode house ads for new film addition The End, along with endless house ads for The Comeback, Rick & Morty, and Roosters.
These are three shows I have limited interest in watching and after seeing house ads running at around 25 seconds per spot repeated multiple times in every episode, my distaste for all three has only intensified.
Why are the house ads not aligned with a recommendation engine? Or strategically designed to serve as initial education of a show, then with far shorter ads in support and reinforcement of the initial message?
Playing the same ad over and over and over and over again just makes me resent the entire experience.
I’m even more resentful when the platform freezes after coming back from an ad and restarting the show just forces me into seeing yet more house ads.
It’s quite clear that I’m being served these ads only because there’s limited inventory being sold (the number of house ads vs regular ads is heavily weighted towards house ads). I’m not convinced frustrating viewers with the same tired house ads is to the benefit of any one or any objective.
House ads are great. They benefit the platform and the viewer. But this just isn’t the way to do it.
Off Campus to take over Sydney book store
I’m a big fan of promotional activations that the actual public can engage with (and not just media, influencers, and occasional ticket winners). Prime Video in Australia has just announced it is taking over Paddington bookstore Romancing The Novel for a week-long immersive fan activation to promote new YA hockey drama Off Campus.
There is also a ticketed Q&A event with series star Josh Heuston – an Australian actor who possibly lives just up the road.
From the media release:
The Off Campus activation at Romancing The Novel will run from Wednesday, May 13 until Tuesday, May 19. Fans are encouraged to visit the activation, which brings Briar University to life, capture content, and share their experience on social media. Those who post and tag @PrimeVideoAUNZ and @romancing.the.novel will have the chance to score tickets to a special Off Campus event at the store on Tuesday May 19, featuring a Q&A with Josh Heuston. The activation will feature a ‘Malone’s’ coffee cart on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, and a key chain crafternoon on Sunday, May 17. Free for followers of @PrimeVideoAUNZ on Instagram or TikTok, available first-come, first-served while stocks last.
News Desk
A miracle is upon us with a lift in ratings for SNL UK with 197,200 live viewers on Saturday. That’s up on 143,730 the week before. A trend or abaration? Read: Deadline
I’ve just started watching the fun and engaging throwback PI show RJ Decker, (the show has a strong early 00s effort to deliver Rockford Files vibes vibe), so I assumed that meant the show was due for cancellation. But no, the show is coming back for a season 2, meaning the US ABC has renewed its entire roster of scripted series. Read: Deadline
After a nervous few weeks of not being renewed while other NBC prime time shows were, the OG Law & Order has picked up a renewal for season 26. Read: thefutoncritic
NBC also announced new series pickups for The Rockford Files reboot starring David Boreanaz (this has been an assumed pickup since the day it was announced), along with the Tea Leoni / Tim Daly sitcom Newlyweds, the Peter Krause-led law enforcement drama Line of Fire, and a new sitcom from creator Dan Goor (Brooklyn Nine Nine) starring New Girl’s Jake Johnson titled Sunset PI. TV is once again all about private investigators. Nature has again been balanced. Read: thefutoncritic
Expect a time jump for Daredevil season 3. Read: Dark Horizons
Larry David’s unproduced screenplay Prognosis Negative (referenced in Seinfeld as an actual movie the gang make an effort to see) has been uploaded to the Internet. Read: Variety
OnlyFans models have spoken out against the latest season of Euphoria where apparently the content produced by a character played by Sydney Sweeney violates the sites terms. Read: Variety
Speaking of OnlyFans, the business has been valued at $3.15 billion in a deal to sell a 16% stake to Architect Capital for $535 million. Read: Variety
Debopriyaa Dutta has a good list of “the 10 most perfect sci-fi anime movies of the last 5 years” at Polygon. The only bad thing about the list is that they aren’t all anime films…
The US Price is Right just gave away its largest prize in a single pricing game in the 54-year history of the CBS daytime game show – $227,500. Winner Vanessa walked away with $240,000 in cash and prizes. Read: Variety
Imogen Poots and John Reynolds will star in the upcoming Prime Video adaptation of comic series Sex Criminals. Read: Variety
Netflix has announced a sequel to its volcano film La Palma. Read: thefutoncritic
AMC is set to take The Walking Dead out to market to secure its next deal. It will consider selling the show as a whole package, or breaking up the various shows across multiple streamers. Read: Deadline
In news designed only to make you feel really, really old, Full House star Candace Cameron Bure is about to become a grandmother. Read: E!
Trailer Park
Not Suitable For Work debuts on Hulu June 2.
"Not Suitable for Work" follows five work-obsessed twenty-somethings who strive for professional success and, if they have time, personal happiness, in Manhattan.
This teaser from Netflix has Money Heist fans wondering if there will be a season 6 of the show or character spin-offs.
Vital Hit debuts June 11 on Netflix.
When he accidentally goes viral after a brawl, a weak and broke teen realizes livestreaming fights against delinquents could change his life.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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I’m quite sure the HBO Max ad model is based on the Spotify one. That is, play ads that are annoying, irrelevant and repetitive to irritate you into upgrading to ad-free. I get the same ad for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage nearly every break.