Google TV is set to provide more pop-ups for its users. While many people think they are an annoyance, is Google right in asking for even more of their viewers’ attention?
Pop-ups are one of modern life’s real annoyances. You are just getting into a great show, then bang, an ad appears just as the action is starting. It may be asking for your feedback before you have even had a chance to digest the information on screen. Tech giant Google is planning to use even more pop-ups in the near future. But can you stop them at all?
Google TV Set for Pop-Up Expansion
Amongst the many bits of information provided at the Google I/O 2025 conference was news that more pop-ups are headed the way of Android users. The Google Play In-App review has now been extended to Google TV. This is a pop-up that asks users for their experience, getting them to rate and review programming. This will take place as the content is being watched.
A pop-up is an advertisement or request that appears when you load an application or a webpage. They are often advertisements or requests for data and feedback. While they provide a lucrative income stream online, they are extremely irritating for consumers. Many people choose to employ a robust popup blocker which can filter them out. This can improve browsing experiences without slowing down loading times or access to an application. They are often added as simple extensions to browsers.
Google’s ups will be a request for information, asking them to rate a show. Users must either rate it there and then, or choose a ‘not now’ option. There will also be an option to rate it on another device, which will send a notification to the desired phone or tablet.
Primarily, this will impact Google TV, which will be adding a Free TV button built into the controller of new model televisions. Any TV made after April 2025 should have the button. Its television will have 150 channels to watch that require no app installation or sign-up.
Google TV software also powers several brand televisions, from Sony to Philips. Just like you have a Netflix or Disney+ button on some devices, you will soon also have a Google TV choice.
Free Ad-Support TV
There has been a marked increase in streaming services that provide a lower subscription cost service for customers with ads included. The New York Times reported that by the end of 2023, around 93 million subscriptions were held in the US alone. Around 56% of new subscribers to streaming services were selecting lower-cost, ad-based packages. It is expected this will have increased as the cost-of-living crisis has worsened.
Free ad-supported TV is a programme that allows users to watch television without cost and do not require any sign-up or subscription. The concept of Free Ad-Support TV is nothing new. In fact, it has powered standard network television channels for years, with only the UK’s BBC and a few other state-sponsored channels operating without advertisements. In the age of the internet, its function has changed. People now have subscriptions, where they can choose to watch what they want and how they want to watch it from a range of devices.
Combined, these services make up just over 4% of total television viewing. You can find many of them already present on modern televisions. These include Roku and Samsung TV Plus.
The Problem with Pop-ups
The joy of pop-ups is that services can gain revenue from advertising, as well as vital customer information. This allows people to watch television for free. However, they do have their downsides.
When it comes to pop-ups online, around 86% of shoppers do not like them and even have negative brand awareness of those who use them. This was confirmed in a study by the research company CCB. A further study by them showed that in a survey of 2000 people, only 47 could remember a brand name from a pop-up. Only 14% of people said they don’t mind them, and 50% couldn’t remember if they have ever clicked on one. Half of the respondents also rated them mildly to highly annoying.
There are ways they can be blocked to some extent, both in internet browsers and on televisions. When online, make sure you invest in a pop-up blocker to filter them out. With televisions and streaming channels, it is not as easy.
Depending on the brand of television, disabling your smart features is a great way to do it. On Samsung televisions, this is also known as ‘Based Interest Advertisements’ and can be done from your settings. A more advanced method is to explore an ad-blocking DNS.
It seems that to gain access to free features, pop-ups are a necessary evil. Limiting them can enhance your enjoyment of a product; however, it will restrict other features. Until then, it is a case of balancing how many pop-ups you will accept with the features you want, and how good the show you want to watch is.
