It’s no secret that ads underpin much of Google’s business model. The Mountain View giant has even been under the scrutiny of antitrust authorities for how it gained its market dominance. The company integrates ads into some of its products, including the Google TV home feed. Now, a survey suggests that Google wants to know if the Google TV platform is displaying too many ads.
The Google TV main feed displays multiple items in carousels separated by content type or platform. There is a carousel featuring your most frequently used apps, as well as carousels with the content you’ve recently viewed on the various streaming platforms you’ve installed. There’s also recommended content based on your tastes. However, in the midst of all this, Google also shows occasional ads.
Google wants to know if you are getting too many ads on Google TV with a survey
The issue of ads on the Google TV home screen has been a subject of controversy among users. For some time now, the company has adopted a more direct and “aggressive” ad strategy. Previously, Google TV only offered ads for content from streaming platforms. However, now some users are receiving ads for more general content, such as gaming or physical products. In some cases, these ads include auto-playing videos.
According to reports, some Google TV users are receiving a survey that asks whether they are receiving too many ads. “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following: In general, I find the number of ads on the Google TV homescreen to be acceptable,” reads the survey question. The list of options to choose from includes “Strongly agree,” “Agree,” “Neutral,” “Disagree,” “Strongly disagree,” and “No opinion.”
The survey suggests that complaints about the ads have reached the company’s ears. Google needs to make sure that the user experience on its streaming platform does not become frustrating. This will be especially important now that the brand promotes the Google TV Streamer as a hub for your smart home devices. Lastly, there are no details on whether the survey is reaching everyone or just a section of users.