2019 is expected to see the arrival of the ‘pause ad’ – advertising that appears on screen when a viewer pauses the content they’re streaming.
US companies Hulu and AT&T are both reportedly looking to introduce the advertising in 2019.
“As binge-viewing happens more and more, it’s natural they are going to want to pause,” Jeremy Helfand, Hulu’s vice president and head of advertising, told Variety. Helfand said the pause will provide “a natural break in the storytelling experience.”
AT&T is also looking at introducing technology next year that puts a full-motion video on a screen when a viewer pauses. “We know you’re going to capture 100 per cent viewability when they pause and unpause,” says Matt Van Houten, vice president of product at Xandr Media, AT&T’s advertising division. “There’s a lot of value in that experience.”
