Which do you want first?

A new Harris poll about ads on streaming services found a loud and clear message from Americans: “Streaming-service ads are boring, repetitive and unpersuasive.“

That’s the bad news. The good news? “Americans will tolerate ads: Only 28% pointed to access to an ad-free experience as a key factor in subscribing to a streaming service.”

The key word there is “tolerate.”

“Nearly three-quarters (73%) said that there are already too many ads on streaming platforms. A similar number (70%) said that they’re not interested in the products they see advertised. And an even larger number (81%) said that they see the same ads over and over, adding the insult of repetition to the injury of boredom.”

But wait, it gets worse:

“Perhaps most damning of all, 55% of Americans say that streamed ads are less interesting than those aired on more traditional TV services such as cable and broadcast.”

“That figure is even higher among Gen Z/younger millennials (ages 18-29) at 56% and older millennials (ages 30-41) at 64%, who, along with Gen X, are most likely to use streaming services.”

“This, when 65% of Gen Z in a new Harris study say algorithms have increased the content they like to consume and be entertained (vs. 25% of Boomers). And their preferred platform, TikTok, is now an entertainment engine for everything from music and fashion to cooking and even sports. (In 2020, Netflix added TikTok to its list of serious competitors to watch).”

“Streamers should create new ways for advertisers to talk to their consumers. They need to create engaging ad opportunities, as opposed to just simple intrusive 15 and 30-second ads,” GroupM’s Adam Gerber told the Wall Street Journal in October. “Streamers need to rethink the ad model.” *

Indeed.

Radio needs this too.

*All quotes from THIS Ad Age article (subs. may be required)