Streamer ad-tiers have taken off in the US, with the number of paid ad-tier subscriptions eclipsing 225m through Q1 2025. All of those subscribers amounts to a lot of of ad views, but the timing and placement of ads shows not all streamers are handling advertising the same way. Ampere’s new Analytics – Advertising US data unveils a distinct difference between services, not just around some showing more ads than other – but also when during episodes ads are shown. Currently, legacy media companies are treating ads for streaming on-demand content just as they would for a broadcast channel, with ad loads peaking at specific times of an episode. But other players, especially the tech-led streamers, are setting a completely different standard. 

Based on a company’s history and operations, three streamer types have been categorized as follows: studio-led, being part of a larger media umbrella; tech-led, which puts Netflix and Amazon Prime Video together as subscription services without established media-advertising legacy; and free platforms, which are ad-supported siblings to the studio-led streamers.

During an episode of TV on broadcast or cable, one will typically see more ads during the rising action of the story, when the viewer is likely to keep watching to see how the episode ends. This is also the trend seen for episodes on Studio-led streamers. Not only are there simply more ads on these streamers, but there are clear peaks in ad loads during the 11-20 min. and 31-45 min. portions of episodes. If you think about a traditional half-hour or hour block of programming on broadcast television, the 11-20 min. and 31-45 min. portions would be ideal timing for more ads to be shown to viewers before the final part of the episode. Here, it seems studio-led streamers are utilising the same strategy for their on-demand catalogues, giving viewers an experience similar to one they would expect when they think of TV. 

The case is different for tech-led and free platforms, which tend to show fewer ads the longer an episode goes on. While the free platforms have always been ad-supported, the tech-led streamers were explicitly ad-free until relatively recently (Amazon Prime Video rolled out advertising for all subscribers in Q1 2024, demanding an extra fee to opt out). Yet, both platform types have similar approaches when it comes to distributing ads within episodic content.

For the tech-led streamers, especially Netflix, a viewer’s engagement and experience with the platform is more important than playing by the broadcast advertising rulebook. The studio-led strategy is rooted in an audience’s attention – advertisers benefit from heightened viewer attention during specific beats of an episode’s storyline. However, tech-led streamers want the viewers to stick around for another episode again and again, thus “front loading” ads in episodes when a viewer has committed to watching, and decreasing ads towards the end to encourage seamless episode transition. 

For the free platforms, their on-demand catalogue is not the only source of advertising. Both Pluto and Tubi have extensive lists of Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) Channels on their platforms that are always on, and thus always showing ads within a linear environment. Given this, the ad-load around free platforms’ on-demand titles is not only lower than studio-led streamers’ but reflects a view pattern more resembling the tech-led streamers.

The full Ad Positioning report can be found here. Please reach out to enquiries@ampereanalysis.com with any questions on accessing the full report or Ampere's new Analytics – Advertising US data.