Sling TV is the latest streamer to get those pesky pause ads
Image: Sling TVSling TV will now put ads on your screen when you pause live or on-demand content, according to an announcement from its parent company, Dish. But you won’t have to deal with this extra dose of ads...
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Sling TV will now put ads on your screen when you pause live or on-demand content, according to an announcement from its parent company, Dish. But you won’t have to deal with this extra dose of ads if you don’t want to — the pause ad example shared by Sling TV says you can “turn off Pause Ads” from the settings menu.
That comes as a relief in an industry where it’s getting harder and harder to escape intrusive pause ads. Want to stop a show to get a closer look at something on your screen? Or maybe you want to admire a close-up of your favorite actor for a little bit? Well, pause ads make that nearly impossible, as they often take up all or part of your screen.
GIF: Sling TV
Many services already use pause ads, including Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Max, YouTube, and Hulu (which has become notorious for showing the Charmin toilet paper bear during pause breaks). And, according to Marketing Brew, Netflix could be next to hop on the pause ad bandwagon.
Like other streamers, Sling TV is leaning into advertising to rake in more revenue. The service’s pause ad format will let advertisers show videos or static content and could even include a QR code that links viewers to a product. You can press any button to resume the content you’re watching.
As dreadful as pause ads are, it’s nice to see Sling TV giving users a choice to opt out — other streamers, take note.
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