Where are the previews? Where are the regularly scheduled commercials breaks? Where are the print advertisements? A decade ago these question were irrelevant because one could not enjoy a film, a television show, a magazine, a newspaper, or a comic book without some form of commercial interruption. In 2011 the world is a different place. Commercial interruptions are avoidable or greatly reduced in almost all forms of entertainment. There are no previews or commercials on Netflix, ITunes, Amazon, or on On-demand or pay-per-view. Previews are easily avoided on Blu-ray disks and DVDs. Digital video recorders have transformed watching commercials during a television program from a requirement to a choice. Free on-line television is interrupted by commercial breaks that last seconds, not minutes. A comic reader can read a digital comic from beginning to end, without reading a single advertisement. Even though the reduction in commercial interruptions is clearly more convenient for consumers, the reduction is also a sign of the entertainment industries failure to innovate and provide consumer with what they truly want, access to entertainment anytime and anywhere at a low price.
We live in a world with smart phones, tablets, and high-speed computers, where the availability of entertainment is only limited by the entertainment providers themselves. Networks limit the number of television episodes available on their websites. Netflix, Amazon, and Apple struggle to negotiate with reluctant studios and networks to provide content through subscription services or to sell content digitally. Comic book, Newspaper, and Magazine publishers are slowly and reluctantly releasing their content digitally on the same day as their print editions, and doing so at prices that mirror their print editions, instead of reflecting the lower costs of digital distribution. The slow transition to digital distribution can be explained by many things such as: protecting blu-ray sales, declining movie ticket sales, low television ratings, and protecting the print media in general. Whether these justifications are legitimate or not is unclear, but what is surprising is the failure of entertainment providers to take advantage of new advertising opportunities.
Why don’t networks provide unhindered access to television shows on the web with commercial interruptions comparable to those on live television that cannot be skipped? If viewers are increasingly using digital video recorders and skipping the commercials, why does a network want viewers to watch a television program on TV instead of online? Why don’t content providers introduce commercial breaks into their streaming service and use the revenue to purchase more content? Why aren’t their previews before movies rented digitally? Why don’t digital comics have the same advertisements as their print editions? In this digital age, entertainment providers are searching for new revenue streams and there is a source of revenue staring them right in the face. Yes, consumers do enjoy commercial free entertainment but in every area of life there are benefits to compromising. If an increase in commercial interruptions increases access to entertainment or reduces prices, I say bring on the commercial interruptions.