Fire TV Now Inserting Ads Before Screensaver Starts; Explore Initial Advertisers and Formats
Take a look at the first four advertisers involved in the new placement and see how their campaigns differ.
There is no doubt that the popularity of ad-supported streaming is growing exponentially, as more and more consumers are looking to cut back on their entertainment spending by suffering through a few minutes of commercials every hour. However, being ad-supported is about far more than just inserting ads into shows and movies. Amazon Fire TV has been tinkering with how to maximize its revenue-generating real estate for months, and it appears that the tech company is slowly rolling out a new ad placement that will show ads before your TV goes into its screensaver mode, but The Streamable’s tests show that they aren’t as obtrusive as first feared.
Key Details:
- Amazon’s Fire TV has begun inserting a new ad placement before its screensaver kicks in.
- The Streamable has been able to identify four different advertisers for this ad spot, all approaching it differently.
- All of the ads require user interaction to go beyond a single screen, and only one leads to a traditional commercial.
Late last year, the company changed the way that the home screen worked on its Fire TVs and devices. At the time, almost instantly upon turning on the TV, the traditional hero banner would expand to full-screen and autoplay a video, either a trailer or commercial. The tech giant revised that practice last month, giving users longer to interact with the menu before going into full-screen mode.
However, it now appears that Amazon is focusing on another way to up advertising impressions by placing ad panels before transitioning into a screensaver. As first reported by Cord Cutter News, this new ad spot is part of Amazon’s Ambient Experience, which has been a part of Fire TVs and sticks since last year.
“We’re constantly looking for more ways to help customers effortlessly find content, products, and services they may enjoy, and ads are one way we do that,” an Amazon spokesperson told Cord Cutters News. “Our recent update to the Ambient Experience means customers will see sponsored content to discover something great to watch or a new product or service to try.”
What Do Amazon Fire TV’s Pre-Screensaver Ads Look Like? What Companies Are Advertising?
Based on a general lack of social media discussion and our own tests on multiple Fire TV devices, it appears that Amazon is rolling out this new ad feature slowly. Amazon confirmed to CCN that currently, it is available on Fire TVs made in 2016 or later. The Streamable has tested more than a half dozen Fire TVs made in the past few years, and none have automatically played a commercial before the screensaver, but they have shown static ad pages from AT&T and footwear company Easy Spirit, both of which were noted by Cord Cutter News, as well as Italian gelato company Talenti and beverage manufacturer PepsiCo.
There could possibly be other ads targeting different demographics or set to roll out in future flights, but currently, AT&T, Easy Spirit, Talenti, and Pepsi were the only ones that I was able to see after about two hours of patiently watching Amazon Fire TV home screens. However, all four advertisements did include the option for consumers to learn more about the products.
From what I was able to verify, these ads were not intrusive and were no different than standard screensaver slides, other than the fact that they were promoting products. In the bottom left-hand corner of the screens, users are encouraged to click their remote’s Play button in order to learn more.
Talenti Gelato
The only advertiser that I was able to see in my tests that led to a traditional commercial was Talenti. The initial ad image was brightly colored with an orange ice cream bar in front of a deep blue background. However, the video ad would only begin to play once I clicked the button indicating that I wanted to learn more.
The Talenti ad is a traditional commercial with video and a voiceover. At the end of the short ad, there is a screen that will allow users to order the company’s gelato products via a QR code. After minutes of silence, the commercial’s voiceover was a bit startling, which might make some users instantly reach for the Home button to exit the suddenly loud screen.
Talenti’s pre-screensaver ad page on Fire TV.
A screenshot of Talenti’s 15-second commercial.
The interactive finale screen for Talenti’s Fire TV ad.
Click on images to expand.
PepsiCo.
Pepsi’s pre-screensaver ad also directs users to a video, but it is different than most traditional commercials. Once Fire TV users see the full-page ad focused on the company’s “Click. Ship. Sip” campaign, they are again able to select the Play button to get more information. From there, a short video will play revealing a colorful refrigerator stocked with Pepsi products. However, unlike a traditional commercial, there is no music or narration; just moving images.
In my opinion, this is a more palatable ad experience than the Talenti spot. In order to even get one of these ads to populate, users would need to not interact with their TVs for a number of minutes, meaning that they have become accustomed to the quiet. And even though they must click a button to start the video, the sudden auditory onslaught can be overwhelming.
In this case, the Pepsi video was slick, clean, and quiet. When it finished, there was an interactive menu that viewers could use to order different drinks directly from their TVs.
Pepsi’s Fire TV ad is focused on ordering drinks on Amazon.
Pepsi’s video ad is silent and simple, unlike a commercial.
The ad’s interactive page has ordering options via Amazon.
Click on images to expand.
AT&T’s ‘Route to Connection’
In the case of the AT&T-sponsored panel, users were directed to a Prime Video page where they could watch a 13-minute video about AT&T’s “Route to Connection” program, which highlights difficulties for rural citizens in getting high-speed internet. For every stream of the video from June 14 through July 22, 2024, Amazon will donate $1 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America up to $150,000.
While the video style of AT&T’s ad campaign is much different than that of Talenti and PepsiCo, the telecommunications giant is utilizing an interesting aspect of Amazon’s capabilities by hosting a longer-form video for charitable purposes.
AT&T’s “Route to Connection” pre-screensaver ad page.
The “Route to Connection” video page on Prime Video.
Click on images to expand.
Easy Spirit
By pushing play on the colorful Easy Spirit ad, users are taken directly to a shoppable page where they can scroll through different styles of shoes. Each tile is interactive, so if you find something that you think you might like, you are able to click on it, get more details, and even order the shoes.
Unlike the other three advertisers, there is no video component in Easy Spirit’s ad.
Easy Spirit’s Fire TV pre-screensaver ad page.
The shopping page for Easy Spirit’s Fire TV ad.
Click on images to expand.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.