I’m sitting here watching the Gotham FC-Kansas City Current match on CBS. KC really came out early and smashed Gotham with two goals in the first 13′, so it’s not that interesting of a match at this point**. It’s nice that NWSL matches are being aired on broadcast television. However, CBS (and some other broadcasters but this post is about CBS) has started placing ads during the game. Sure, it’s usually during short breaks like substitutions or injuries, but they did cut to a commercial when there was no break, but I assume the producers had expected a VAR review that didn’t not happen. Anyways, just a shocking innovation that should go away and die.
** Gotham just scored on a corner kick, so I guess it’s a little less uninteresting. UPDATE: VAR called it off. UPDATE 2: Gotham scored from open play. UPDATE 3: Apparently that was called off too.
Everybody’s got a streaming service these days, and nearly half of subscribers have opted for the plans with ads. Of course, this is generally because the prices for ad-free plans are damned extortional (this is now a word). Especially if you subscribe to multiple streaming services, and there are just too many streaming services. I subscribe to too many, but I did draw the line at Paramount Plus or whatever it’s called today, even if it means I had to miss seeing my favorite Premier League team play in the Champion’s League this season (that and the matches were all played while I was at work in the office). But I opt mostly for ad-free (except Peacock because it gets less mileage and is mostly there for Premier League matches which have ads anyway) because, fuck, I hate ads and have avoided them for as long as I have been able. It was certainly nice to get a DVR as soon as they were available, first of course to watch recordings whenever, but also because of the ability to skips ads.
Which brings me finally to today’s (yesterday’s) story. AMC, one of the leading movie theater chains, has decided to start showing ads before the movie.
The movie theater chain has struck a deal with the cinema advertising company National CineMedia to play commercials in what is known as the “platinum spot” — right before the start of a movie. It is a departure from 2019, when AMC issued a strongly worded statement rejecting the company’s proposal to place ads in that spot. (National CineMedia signed agreements with two of AMC’s rivals, Regal and Cinemark, that year.)
This follows most of the other greedy theater chains, all of whom have been having trouble filling seats since 2020 (or really, since when anybody can remember). Make the experience worse! That will really fill those seats!
I haven’t really been to the theater since 2020 I believe. Mostly 2020 taught me that I can watch movies at home whenever I want, with no ads. I don’t need to see the newest movies—they all come to the home eventually. Plus there are a shit ton of old movies I have never seen. There are too many movies being released to ever see in my lifetime! Why would I spend $250 to sit in a theater and watch ads?
Anyways, the answer—as always—is more ads. Now if anybody can tell me how anybody can stand to use the modern internet without an ad blocker I’d love to hear it, and I have a freaking blog (sans ads currently, but that may change if I decide I like money).
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