Sling TV Introduces Pause Ads to Live and On-Demand Content
The ads will appear 10 seconds after a viewer presses pause and will be minimally intrusive.
Streaming services are continuing to leave no stone unturned when it comes to generating as many advertising placements as possible on their platforms. Whether it’s before screensavers kick in or actually in shows and movies themselves, the business of streaming is too expensive to leave any revenue-generating opportunity unexplored. To that end, on Tuesday, DISH Media announced that it has launched pause ads on its live TV and on-demand streaming platform Sling TV.
Key Details:
- Sling TV has begun showing simple ads when a user presses pause on live or on-demand content.
- The ads are designed to be either static images or unobtrusive videos.
- Users are able to opt out of pause ads by updating their settings.
Sling is far from the first streamer to introduce pause ads, as HBO Max did so over two years ago, followed by Paramount+ a few months later, just to name a few. However, it is a significant step for a company that is contending with the challenging economic headwinds facing everyone in the streaming space.
These ads will show up when a viewer pauses what they are watching, whether it is an episode of live TV or one of Sling’s on-demand titles. Unlike other streaming ad integrations that put a sponsor’s logo in a larger menu, or feature a banner on a rotating carousel, Sling’s pause ads will function more like traditional commercials in the fact that they will be unencumbered by additional distractions. The ads will appear on-screen 10 seconds following the content being paused to ensure that they are as unobtrusive as possible. Additionally, the ads are not full commercials, instead, they can be either static images or short videos designed to be non-disruptive.
To exit out of the pause ad, a viewer simply has to push a button to return to the show or movie they were watching. And, if you decide that having an advertisement on screen while you stop the action, users are able to opt out of seeing pause ads by updating their settings.
“We are always looking to provide advertisers with the most effective, full-funnel ad solutions,” DISH SVP Tom Fochetta said. “Pause Ads introduce an additional opportunity for advertisers to lean into our first-party data and Sling TV’s robust targeting capabilities to create highly compelling and interactive ad experiences.”
Sling already has a completely ad-supported sibling streamer in Sling Freestream. That platform is the home of countless free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels and on-demand titles. All of that content is automatically integrated into every Sling TV subscription, but can be accessed without having to sign up as well. As of now, The Streamable’s tests indicate that Freestream content is not subject to the pause ad integration, but it could be possible in the future.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $40/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $40/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $55 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.