Why Advertising on Crackle is Beneficial to Brands

Crackle is a streaming service that is supported by ads instead of charging a monthly subscription like many of its competitors. Unlike ads on standard television or even most other streaming services, Crackle utilizes more interactive ads and rewards viewers for interacting by showing them fewer ads. Since this streaming service shows more interactive ads, this means that more people are actively paying attention to your ads instead of grabbing their phone and scrolling social media until the commercial break is over.

Philippe Guelton, the President of Crackle Plus, says highlights what an exceptional opportunity this can be for more the viewers and the advertisers, “It’s an opportunity for brands to basically sponsor a film, a series, a show, and give the user an ad-free experience” (1). If your ad is the only one that someone sees during their show, it is the only ad that will stick in their mind, so your advertising efforts may have a greater impact than they might on other streaming platforms.

Commercials on Crackle

Up until recently, the number of commercial breaks on Crackle was about half of the amount on linear TV, and the commercials are usually shorter. You have one longer ad at the beginning of a movie or an episode, then two or three ads during the show, and up to nine on longer movies. While part of the rise of streaming services was the escape from ads, there are now a lot of streaming services that have paid subscriptions that still have ads, so enjoying a free streaming service that is supported by ads is worthwhile. With this new move of offering interactive ads in exchange for having fewer ads throughout the program you are watching, there may be even more people who begin to use Crackle for their streaming services.

Crackle has considered offering a subscription-based option that has no advertising, but currently, the plan is to keep the service free and supported by ads. “We think more people are looking at free services because you just can’t afford all the services available. People pull out of cable and satellite channels, and they start to put together a la carte services, and next thing you know, they turn around, and they’re paying as much as they were before. So, as you construct your personal bundle you can always add free to the mix” (2).

Crackle’s Recent Expansion

Crackle has also recently expanded and added approximately ten new distribution services, including Plex and Xfinity Flex. According to Guelton, part of the reason for this move was because a study recently indicated that there are approximately 33 million potential customers who have been untapped but show interest in the service, and they wanted to make it even easier for this large audience base to find them (1). Crackle Plus is also creating new original shows and movies and working on getting exclusive content from linear television.

Crackle may not have the expansive libraries of Netflix or Hulu. Still, it does have over 170 television series and hundreds of movies available, and it is actively working to create more content. As is the case with most streaming services, Crackle keeps its content on a rotation, adding and removing things periodically so that viewers can keep finding new and interesting content to enjoy. The streaming service plans to release approximately 200 hours of new original content and exclusive content.

Final Thoughts

Crackle may not be as big as its competitors, but it does offer some unique features that make it an excellent choice for your OTT advertising. Its new offering of interactive ads in exchange for no further ads in an episode can make viewers notice the ads on their screens. Crackle’s expansion makes it available over 25 different services and devices, so exposure to the ads on the service is growing. Its new original programs will bring new audience members as they learn of new shows and movies in their interests. This is an optimal time for a brand to invest in OTT advertising on Crackle. Contact JamLoop today and get started creating and optimizing your Crackle ads.