Fubo to Launch Pause Ads and Interactive Commercials in Bid to Raise Revenues and Boost Engagement
Fubo to Launch Pause Ads and Interactive Commercials in Bid to Raise Revenues and Boost Engagement
Fubo unveiled its new advertising plans at the 2024 IAB NewFronts presentation.
It may seem hard to believe that Fubo has time for anything but feuding with Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery these days. However, the Fubo team does have room to multitask, as its presentation at the 2024 IAB NewFronts event. Customers of the live TV streaming service will start to notice a greater inventory of ads on the platform, as well as different types of ads including interactive promotions that will allow fans to shop with their TV remotes.
Key Facts:
- Fubo will introduce a carousel of ads on its home screen.
- It will also roll out pause ads and interactive, shoppable ads.
- Studies have shown that interactive video formats can help draw greater engagement.
Fubo’s NewFronts presentation laid out several different new kinds of ads that it will offer advertisers. It will likely be music to the ears of ad agencies in the United States, who are still experiencing a soft market despite months of prognostications that the economic environment would improve.
First up is what Fubo calls “The Marquee.” This is a Fubo-proprietary concept, and will feature highly visible content carousels full of a given provider’s ads located on Fubo’s home screen. It will incorporate branded and themed backgrounds, custom titles, subheads, logo placements and content with the goal of creating an immersive brand experience.
Next up is a new suite of interactive ad opportunities. Video ad units and select content will be enhanced with calls to action that audiences can interact with directly using their remote control. A 2023 study conducted by Parks Associates showed that interactive video can increase engagement for streaming platforms, and interactive ads might produce the same effect for advertisers.
Additionally, Fubo will be launching pause ads, which appear a few seconds after a viewer presses pause during the content stream. When the user resumes the stream, the pause ad disappears. The pause ads may be outfitted with a QR code that will allow customers to scan and shop on their phones while the action on their screen disappears.
Finally, the company is trying to increase its targeting capabilities across its classic banner ads to give advertisers even more precision in reaching their desired audiences.
Are Other Streamers Experimenting With New Ad Formats?
Roku has been doing the most work to deliver new types of ad experiences to consumers lately. Last week, it was announced that Roku wanted to start showing video ads on the home screens of its devices, as well as test other video at formats for its interface.
In early April, news circulated that Roku was seeking a patent that will allow to show its own ads on third-party devices plugged into the HDMI ports of Roku TV sets. Roku would detect when customers pause their video playback, then show then a pause ad that would remain on the screen until they resume the title they are watching.
A recent survey found that tolerance for streaming ads is at an all-time high, as viewers are hoping increased ads will lead to reduced prices. The increased presence of ads on Fubo won’t lead to lower prices for that platform, but they could potentially stave off future rate hikes on the service.
Fubo believes it will achieve profitability in 2025, and increasing the amount of ads offered on its platform will only help that goal. It remains to be seen what effectdropping 19 WBD-owned channels will have on the Fubo audience going forward, but all those who stick by the streamer will start to see new ad formats on its interface soon.
Fubo
Fubo is a live TV streaming service offering a robust lineup of approximately 150 premier channels, with plans starting at $63.99 per month. This entry-level package provides access to local broadcast affiliates 18 of the leading 35 cable channels channels, and valuable regional sports networks (RSNs).