Always, always a commercial when selecting a channel

[Panchdara+IOM]

Why, oh why, when chnging channel there is a freaking commercial on??? Answer - there are more commercials than actual shows.... SKy needs a wakeup call!! I'll be off to streaming now....

[GD1]

@Panchdara+IOM  Just for clarity Sky's channels tend to have ad break around the same time, however they have no control over other channels outside of the Sky brand as to when commercials are shows.

Which channels are you referring to?

[Panchdara+IOM]

Thanks for supa fast reply!

Yeah, seems most channels are showing ads when I'm changing channel. I reckon there are more ads than there is actual program content - and we're paying for those ads!!!  Now, lemme go start a streaming subscription.

Thanks again.

Best regards

[Skull+Treaty]

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@Panchdara+IOM wrote:

Yeah, seems most channels are showing ads when I'm changing channel.

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I see the same, then I'm normally flicking/changing channels when the ads are showing on the channel I was watching to start with!

[TimmyBGood]

@Panchdara+IOM 

Commercial channels specifically commission content that has advertising breaks at predictable and coinciding intervals, otherwise they 'leak' viewers who switch during breaks.  This has been the case for many, many years: it's just much more noticeable with so many channels operating simultaneously.

[TimmyBGood]

@Panchdara+IOM 

Worth knowing that the total percentage of advertising time on any particular channel and how this is scheduled is externally regulated by Ofcom: as indicated above, Sky is only internally responsible for programming its own-brand channels and not the hundreds of others on the satellite and streaming platforms.

[Anonymous]

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@Panchdara+IOM wrote:

Why, oh why, when chnging channel there is a freaking commercial on??? Answer - there are more commercials than actual shows.... SKy needs a wakeup call!! I'll be off to streaming now....

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If you find yourself increasingly displeased with advertisements, perhaps you might want to explore the option of viewing programmes on Catch-Up or On-Demand services. While advertisements are still present, you do have the ability to expedite their playback.

[Flappers]

I think this phenomenon is more devious and driven by bottom-line profit. When you watch a YouTube video, it always starts with a 'compulsory' advert. Technology allows broadcast/digital TV to replicate this so that whenever you change channels, your selection starts with an ad break. This means that the remaining ad breaks on your 'new' channel are spread over the remainder of your new selection's run-time. How can this be achieved?

Let's say that a one-hour (nominal) programme is purchased and edited (Edit #1) to include the allowable number/time of ad breaks. This is how it used to be.

Then imagine a second edit (Edit #2) of the original programme is created to accommodate those switching to enter the programme slightly later than used for Edit #1. Similarly, Edit #3.....Edit #60 etc are created.  so that whenever a viewer switches - at any time during the entire hour - an algorithm selects the relevant Edit Number for the viewer to watch. Thus, it ALWAYS starts with an advert.

This is just my technical explanation of how it could be achieved though I don't believe that such a sophisticated and edit-heavy solution is used on all Sky Channels. But in any event, it would surely boost Sky's advertising revenues to offer this system as a premium service option to advertisers.

[xenon81]

That's not how linear TV works, everyone sees the same thing. If the channel is showing a programme, everyone sees the programme. If they're showing an ad break, everyone sees the ad break. If I tune into Sky Max 5 minutes into a show, I don't get a special ad break just for me. I see the programme like everyone else. 

If you switch channels at around :12, :27, :42 and :57 you are very likely to see adverts on most channels as they generally run 12 minutes of adverts per hour (the maximum allowed by Ofcom), spread across 4x3 minute breaks. 

[Annie+UK]

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@xenon81 wrote:

That's not how linear TV works, everyone sees the same thing. If the channel is showing a programme, everyone sees the programme. If they're showing an ad break, everyone sees the ad break. If I tune into Sky Max 5 minutes into a show, I don't get a special ad break just for me. I see the programme like everyone else. 

If you switch channels at around :12, :27, :42 and :57 you are very likely to see adverts on most channels as they generally run 12 minutes of adverts per hour (the maximum allowed by Ofcom), spread across 4x3 minute breaks. 

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On Sky some channels can provide different ads per region/box but everyone gets the ad breaks at the same time for the same length of time

[TimmyBGood]

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@xenon81 wrote:

That's not how linear TV works, everyone sees the same thing. If the channel is showing a programme, everyone sees the programme. If they're showing an ad break, everyone sees the ad break

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Although these days they don't necessarily see the same adverts, particularly if using Glass/Stream...

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/tailored-advertising-with-sky-adsmart 

We get an alarming number for Ifor Williams Trailers, but there's only so many of those wonderful devices one needs in a lifetime.

[TimmyBGood]

AdSmart allows you to access millions of Sky and Virgin homes, selecting your ideal audience and location; meaning you can be sure only the right households see your ad, in great content, and you only pay when it’s been seen.

https://www.adsmartfromsky.co.uk/targeting-your-audience/ 

[ZyloKai]

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@SlenderRobert wrote:

@Panchdara+IOM 

Simple solution - curate your viewing. Use an app or simply make a list of things you want to watch. In our house too many minutes and hours have been spent mindlessly channel hopping in the past. Time is precious so use it better. 

We subscribe to various streaming services in the UK and USA with ad-free tiers. That way we don't have to suffer any advertising at all. Live TV and even the Sky EPG are rarely even looked at in our house now. It makes our viewing experience much more pleasant. 

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Or if one is on Sky Q, just record one's favourite shows or most commonly watched shows and fast forward the ads. As that little fancy ferret guy selling car insurance always says: "Simples!". 

[Mr+Ripley]

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@ZyloKai wrote:

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@SlenderRobert wrote:

@Panchdara+IOM 

Simple solution - curate your viewing. Use an app or simply make a list of things you want to watch. In our house too many minutes and hours have been spent mindlessly channel hopping in the past. Time is precious so use it better. 

We subscribe to various streaming services in the UK and USA with ad-free tiers. That way we don't have to suffer any advertising at all. Live TV and even the Sky EPG are rarely even looked at in our house now. It makes our viewing experience much more pleasant. 

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Or if one is on Sky Q, just record one's favourite shows or most commonly watched shows and fast forward the ads. As that little fancy ferret guy selling car insurance always says: "Simples!". 

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  I have Sky Q & I find when watching a recording from Ch4, using voice control on the remote & saying " Skip 4 minutes " always works perfectly, no sign of an ad & returns to the programme right at the start of the next part.