topic Re: So many adverts! in What's On

So many adverts!

maxismum — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 11:41:52 GMT

Does anyone else get fed up with the amount of adverts on, especially when sport is on particularly cricket matches? An over ends or there's a drinks break or a wicket is taken and bang, straight to an ad break. And sometimes they bring it back on after the break and it's already started! It never happens during footy when there's any sort of a break. I pay for sky sports to watch the actual sport, commentary and analysis, I don't want to listen to 'anything you want' a million times a day thank you very much!

Re: So many adverts!

Daniel0210 — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 12:50:27 GMT

@maxismum

Breaks in football are predictable ie; half time, whereas cricket (particularly a test match) goes on for hours so adverts are introduced when the opportunity arises. There is a maximum number of minutes per hour allowed although I can't remember what it is, so although there won't be more advertising time, they will be more spread out.

Re: So many adverts!

caesarome — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 13:10:53 GMT

With regards to cricket there are not always adverts at the end of every over but there are should a wicket fall and when there is a drinks break as they do have to be fitted in somewhere.

Re: So many adverts!

TimmyBGood — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 13:47:26 GMT

@Daniel0210 wrote:

@maxismum

There is a maximum number of minutes per hour allowed although I can't remember what it is, so although there won't be more advertising time, they will be more spread out.

Channels 3-5 only

(a) The total amount of advertising in any one day must not exceed an average of

seven minutes per hour of broadcasting.

(c) In the periods 6pm–11pm and 7am–9am the total amount of advertising must not,

without Ofcom’s prior permission, exceed an average of eight minutes an hour on

any one day.

Other services

(a) The total amount of spot advertising in any one day must not exceed an average

of nine minutes per hour (15 per cent) of broadcasting.

(b) This may be increased by a further three minutes per hour (5 per cent) devoted to

teleshopping spots, but this additional 5 per cent must not be used for other forms

of spot advertising.

Maximum amount in any one hour

In any one clock hour there must be no more than 12 minutes of advertising spots

and/or teleshopping spots.

Re: So many adverts!

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 15:06:14 GMT

@maxismum wrote:
Does anyone else get fed up with the amount of adverts on, especially when sport is on particularly cricket matches? An over ends or there's a drinks break or a wicket is taken and bang, straight to an ad break. And sometimes they bring it back on after the break and it's already started! It never happens during footy when there's any sort of a break. I pay for sky sports to watch the actual sport, commentary and analysis, I don't want to listen to 'anything you want' a million times a day thank you very much!

An idea could be to record it, and then watch it about 30 mins to an hour after the programme's start time. Then you could just fast forward the ads.

Re: So many adverts!

chedders64 — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:02:06 GMT

I have just completed a little experiment

Over an hour I clicked on Sky Sports News 6 times.

Out of the 6 times ( random timings ) there were 4 advert breaks 😢

Re: So many adverts!

TimmyBGood — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:11:13 GMT

@chedders64

Quite possibly, but total volume of advertising is still regulated and no mainstream channel owner ever wants to face sanctions from Ofcom.

Re: So many adverts!

chedders64 — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:13:30 GMT

Try it yourself - it exceeds the rules.

You will say impossible however try it over an hour and see for yourself.

Re: So many adverts!

nolte — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:21:22 GMT

@chedders64 wrote:
Try it yourself - it exceeds the rules.
You will say impossible however try it over an hour and see for yourself.

If true, it should be something raised with ofcom for breaching guidelines

Take note of the hours you tested it, time of each ad break and length.

Re: So many adverts!

MarkGoldsmith — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:30:34 GMT

@chedders64 wrote:
I have just completed a little experiment
Over an hour I clicked on Sky Sports News 6 times.
Out of the 6 times ( random timings ) there were 4 advert breaks 😢

How long were the ad breaks?

Re: So many adverts!

xenon81 — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:35:03 GMT

@chedders64 wrote:
Try it yourself - it exceeds the rules.
You will say impossible however try it over an hour and see for yourself.

You need to watch a full clock hour eg. 21:00-22:00 and time the duration of adverts. It must not exceed a total of 12 minutes. Ofcom are very strict on this and have sanctioned channels that have gone over this limit by just seconds, so it would be very surprising indeed if Sky are breaching it.

Note: promos for other programmes on Sky don't count as adverts, so an hour that is made up of 45 minutes of a programme, 12 minutes of adverts, and 3 minutes of promos is fine.

Re: So many adverts!

chedders64 — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:34:51 GMT

I did not time them - however if you watch Sky Sports News - there are always 4- 5 adverts ( the same adverts repeated all the time ) during the breaks.

If I was so inclined I should watch Sky Sports News for an hour and time all the breaks 😔

Re: So many adverts!

nigea99 — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 14:18:28 GMT

@chedders64 wrote:

I did not time them - however if you watch Sky Sports News - there are always 4- 5 adverts ( the same adverts repeated all the time ) during the breaks.

If I was so inclined I should watch Sky Sports News for an hour and time all the breaks 😔

@chedders64 note : afaik trailers for other TV programmes etc. don't count the same way as adverts, so the breaks may be longer due to these

edit : Sorry @xenon81 I see you mentioned this already

Re: So many adverts!

maxismum — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:55:37 GMT

Yeah I do know how it works with cricket but come on, you know what I mean!
And its, they have to be fit in not fitted. Getting back to the subject though just count how many ads there are on the ad breaks. It's just sheer greed adding in more ads when we pay how much we pay. Like I said, I pay for commentary and analysis, not watching people singing about diarrhoea in a cafe dancing and grabbing their[Removed] a thousand times a day.

Moderator notes: Removed swearing

Re: So many adverts!

Earthman1977 — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 08:03:11 GMT

I agree wholeheartedly regarding the number of adverts, it is making Sky almost unwatchable. The only part where I disagree is regarding adverts during cricket, I find they actually liven up a super boring sport!!!!! 😉

Re: So many adverts!

Rainy-day — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:16:18 GMT

My son and I have just exclaimed about the absurdity of breaks between viewing. I had to google if sky have lengthened. I have twice now given up on watching a film because I got so sick of the breaks, you have to endure marketing as well as upcoming shows and partner program's blurb on top and its the same **bleep** over and over evedy break.

I have rediscovered my love for music though. Thank god for Spotify!

I completely ditched Sex in the City because of the ad breaks. Ruins the flow totally these days.

Re: So many adverts!

BenJoBanjo — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:25:49 GMT

@Rainy-day wrote:
My son and I have just exclaimed about the absurdity of breaks between viewing. I had to google if sky have lengthened. I have twice now given up on watching a film because I got so sick of the breaks, you have to endure marketing as well as upcoming shows and partner program's blurb on top and its the same **bleep** over and over evedy break.
I have rediscovered my love for music though. Thank god for Spotify!
I completely ditched Sex in the City because of the ad breaks. Ruins the flow totally these days.

If you despise the ads that much, why not pay for an ad-free service? That's what I've done. Haven't seen an advert in months.

Re: So many adverts!

Earthman1977 — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:32:19 GMT

Do Sky do an ad free version then? With what I do pay them, I'm certainly not getting it for free!!!!

Re: So many adverts!

nolte — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 19:56:27 GMT

@Earthman1977 wrote:
Do Sky do an ad free version then? With what I do pay them, I'm certainly not getting it for free!!!!

It is an add on for sky glass and sky stream

See https://www.sky.com/help/articles/ad-skipping-sky-glass

Please note

The Ad Skipping pack doesn't mean that you won't see any adverts. It just lets you skip or fast forward through the ads using the relevant remote control buttons and on screen menu options for what you're watching. It doesn't fast forward ads in:

Live TV; or
Other TV apps, like Netflix, YouTube or Spotify.

Re: So many adverts!

TimmyBGood — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 20:37:16 GMT

@Rainy-day wrote:

I have twice now given up on watching a film because I got so sick of the breaks, you have to endure marketing as well as upcoming shows and partner program's blurb on top and its the same **bleep** over and over evedy break.

Sky Cinema doesn't show adverts during films. If you are watching non-Sky channels then Sky doesn't (and cannot) control how the owners of those channels choose to insert advertising.