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Commercials Are Streaming’s New Norm, and Creators Aren’t Happy: “It’s Almost Worse Than Broadcast”


As Amazon becomes the latest platform to push an ad-supported tier, TV writers greet this retro model with frustration and, in some cases, disdain: “I thought 'Nine Perfect Strangers' with commercials was horrible,” says David E. Kelley of his Hulu show with breaks.

Interruptions, which included a spot for another series ( Hudson & Rex, starring a German Shepherd detective) and a reminder from the folks at Intuit TurboTax that filing season has commenced, were indeed limited. Paramount expands its own ad-supported tier internationally later in 2024 — and though no official plans have been announced, recent hires at Apple TV+ suggest the tech behemoth will eventually introduce ads as well. David E. Kelley, the onetime broadcast golden boy who gave audiences Picket Fences, Chicago Hope and Ally McBeal before pivoting to premiere outlets like HBO ( Big Little Lies) and Netflix ( The Lincoln Lawyer), seems similarly disenchanted.

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