Commentary: AI Is About to Make Video Ads a Lot Less Annoying

No one likes having their streaming video experience interrupted by pre-roll advertising that doesn't appropriately match the content and video duration; it can be inherently disruptive. In fact, a 2017 report from IPG Mediabrands' Media Lab found that 65% of pre-roll ads are skipped. This is challenging for streaming video platforms and content publishers that want to provide an optimal viewer experience, but need to monetize their content too. While ad-free subscription models have worked for some platforms--notably Amazon (AMZN) Prime and Netflix--they're hardly a panacea. Three years after its launch, for example, YouTube's subscription service YouTube Red still only accounts for 7% of the company's revenue.