A moment frozen in time has become one of the media industry’s hottest areas of focus. Most consumers dislike the interruptions TV commercials bring, which is why many have shifted from traditional cable TV to streaming outlets. However, major streamers like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max, NBCU’s Peacock, and Disney’s Hulu and Disney+ are working to monetize the millions of viewers who choose to “pause” their content every day. Ads of various sizes and shapes now pop up on screen just seconds after the action stops.
A pause isn’t forced on the audience like a traditional commercial break, and media companies hope consumers will be more receptive to ads that appear only when they choose to halt their video. These efforts are intensifying rapidly.
Disney was the first to try “pause ads” on Hulu in 2018, carefully ensuring they didn’t occupy too much of the screen or block the program a subscriber had paused. Many streamers have since moved beyond cautious experimentation, now running or testing full-screen ads equipped with interactive features.
“This is a commercial,” says Tanner Eaton, Vice President of U.S. Advertising Sales for Amazon Ads. “We want you to see what’s going on here.”
Amazon’s pause ads frequently use the full screen and allow viewers to click a button on their remote to shop for the advertised product. For example, one ad invited viewers to order candy, while another for Berkshire Hathaway’s Duracell batteries offered Prime Video subscribers the chance to add items directly to their Amazon cart. According to Amazon, pause ads boosted the effectiveness of typical commercials, leading to a 12% increase in purchase rates after Duracell ran both pause ads and regular spots.
Netflix reports that 77% of its ad-tier viewers keep a pause ad on screen for 15 seconds or more, signaling strong engagement. It’s no surprise that pause ads are gaining momentum. NBCUniversal’s Peacock has offered full-screen pause ads since its launch, while Netflix presents commercials after a pause that cover either the full screen or half of it, sometimes dedicating the other half to graphics evoking the show.
Warner Bros. Discovery currently offers pause ads that cover a quarter of the screen and don’t block the show but is testing full-screen ads globally to gauge subscriber response. The company is also exploring ways to increase pause inventory, even for TV-MA rated content, while ensuring ads don’t appear alongside scenes involving violence or nudity.
Disney, which has maintained strict control over its pause ads, is now considering expanding their scope. The company has recently begun running pause ads that can expand to full screen only if viewers click their remote to opt in.
“This is something we treat as a viewer’s choice,” says Jamie Power, Senior Vice President of Addressable Sales at Disney Advertising. “When you click pause, it doesn’t take over your screen immediately. You decide if you want to opt in to the experience.”
The stakes for pause ads are high. Although subscribers generally dislike commercials, more streamers are adopting advertising models because they need the associated revenue. Media companies believe consumers will accept ad-supported services for a cheaper monthly rate, especially as prices for Peacock, Netflix, and others rise—driven in part by the soaring costs of sports telecasts, one of the few programming formats that draw large, live audiences similar to traditional TV’s heyday.
To stand out, media companies are striving to make pause ads more useful and engaging than typical video commercials. While a standard 30-second TV ad is usually aimed at building product awareness, pause ads increasingly feature QR codes or clickable elements that let viewers instantly learn more or purchase the advertised product. Executives anticipate that more pause ads will soon be “shoppable,” bringing viewers closer to an actual purchase—a task made easier with a full-screen presentation.
“Having beautiful imagery with a very clear brand front and center is important in the quest to capture attention,” says Kristina Shepard, NBCUniversal’s Executive Vice President of Streaming and Performance Sales and Partnerships. Equally critical is a straightforward way to make a purchase, such as a prominent QR code visible even on smartphone screens.
Many companies feel a sense of urgency to capitalize on pause ads quickly. They are preparing for increased live viewing as more sports and events move to streaming platforms like ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service or Fox One. Experiments with other live formats are underway too, including a recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction stream on Disney+ and a special “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary concert streamed on Peacock.
“If companies can make pause ads more appealing,” Power explains, “they can really prove that good ads aren’t interrupting the viewer’s attention or taking people away from storytelling.” The best pause ads will be “more thoughtful, more relevant” and give streaming audiences the choice to watch them or not.
Meanwhile, new innovations are emerging. Amazon has begun offering pause ads to local and regional advertisers, such as regional banks or community grocery stores, which Jenn Donohue, Director of Local Ad Sales at Amazon Ads, says can be especially meaningful to viewers. Streaming services provide advertisers with valuable data on viewers’ locations—ranging from state-level down to ZIP Codes—enabling highly targeted advertising.
Looking ahead, many streamers plan to leverage digital technology and artificial intelligence to create pause ads tailored to the content viewers just watched. For example, if someone is having an intense phone conversation on an episode of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” on Prime Video, a pause ad might promote mobile phone service.
NBCUniversal also plans to run pause ads from various sponsors tied to its upcoming BravoCon event. Beyond pauses during the action, Peacock intends to introduce “mindful moments”: ads that call for a pause within commercial breaks themselves. These spots, resembling Calm meditation app commercials or YouTube TV’s nature-themed interstitials, will invite viewers to “choose to take a beat” and experience a brief moment of calm.
If streamers want to succeed in advertising, they may need to put more emphasis on the quality of the break itself rather than simply interrupting with commercials.
Pause ads represent a promising middle ground between traditional ads and viewer experience—and the media industry is betting big that this approach will resonate with consumers and advertisers alike.
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/big-streamers-bet-increasingly-aggressive-pause-ads-1236573703/