This spring, Hulu will play ads during pause breaks. As we speculated in December, Hulu confirmed that they will soon begin playing ads when viewers pause a show.
The ads will show up when you pause a video, but they won’t be videos themselves. Vice President and Head of Advertising Platforms Jeremy Helfand said of the decision “It can be jarring — you think you’ve paused the content, but you’re still seeing sight, sound and motion.” Hulu also considered the fact that users typically pause content to leave the room, so they would likely miss a video ad.
Instead, the ads will be “like a translucent banner,” appearing on the right side of the screen so that you can still see the show. They won’t appear for several seconds after you’ve paused, to allow time to rewind. Helfand hopes that these ads will be “subtle and relevant,” for viewers, getting brand messaging across without being obtrusive.
Some advertisers have considered the possibility of their message appearing next to scenes depicting sex or violence. Hulu clarified that these ads won’t appear on shows rated TV-MA. Advertisers will also have the ability to target or avoid shows based on genre.
The first pause ads will roll out in the second quarter of 2019. Coca-Cola and Charmin have already been announced as the first participating brands.
Expect the exact sizing and placing of the ads to change over time as Hulu starts implementing the ads and seeing what works.
Source: Photo via TechCrunch