So-called "peak TV" has declined -- that is, the number of
premium scripted TV shows on linear TV and elsewhere. At the same time, there are more budding advertising-supported streaming options.
One reviewer claims it comes down to a decline in the
quality of viewing of overall scripted entertainment content distributed by new ad-supported streaming options with some subscriber fees and the FAST services -- the free ad-supported streaming
television channels.
He points to an ad message that comes at a momentous, end-of-the-film dramatic moment when watching a screening of the “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”movie.
That's when a PetSmart commercial appeared, in a free,-on-demand
service offered by Spectrum.
But there are greater concerns among other platforms -- such as when advertising appears smack in the middle of a particular TV episode's scene with no warning,
cutting off characters' dialogue.
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Perhaps streaming platforms still have their glitches to work through, of all types -- not just the ad-supported premium streaming options of the likes of
Netflix, Amazon, or whatever, but those growing FAST platforms, where dozens of big and small services may exist.
The silver lining -- which may not be much of a positive -- is that overall
commercial interruptions may be limited to four to six minutes per hour.
This is in contrast to traditional, legacy TV networks where non-programming interruptions (paid ads, promotions, and
public service announcements) can total up to 14-17 minutes during an hour of programming.
Think about where this is going and what the now-established YouTube has been doing for a long time
with its content -- both user-generated and professionally produced video. The Google-owned video service regularly interrupts all kinds of videos with its own timing. It does not always time its ad
messaging to that of natural breaks in scene or dialogue.
The young audience crowd may be shrugging their heads about all this, especially when considering other types of new digital media
when it comes to ad interruptions in the flow of content.
This is not to say that all streaming provides this kind of experience -- especially from those longtime legacy TV network-based
companies' streaming efforts.
But one wonders -- in the pursuit of cheaper digital streaming and connected TV platforms -- whether we might be desensitized to video ad messaging interruptions
that seem rough and yet also seem normal.