Channel 4 tests reduced ad loads on its streaming platform
The UK broadcaster has signed up 30 advertisers to trial fewer ads and new formats.
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Channel 4 and its advertisers are to test whether fewer ads from a single brand will cut through better with viewers.
A high frequency of repeated ads is a common complaint levied at streaming services, which hampers the viewing experience. With fewer spots, Channel 4’s advertisers will run high-impact campaigns to see whether quality can outperform quantity.
Channel 4 has signed up 30 brands including Lloyds Banking Group, Boots, John Lewis, Domino’s and Toyota. The 12-week trial is led by the research agency BRDC and kicks off imminently.
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“Improving the advertising experience on our streaming platform is critical to future growth both from a viewer and advertiser perspective,” Channel 4’s head of commercial innovation and partners, Jonathan Lewis, said.
The test is also being treated as a way for advertisers to try out new ad products and formats like interactive and shoppable.
NBCU-owned SVOD, Peacock, launched a similar experiment in 2021 which has led to some of its recent ad tech development like its shoppable formats and virtual product placement.