Fairfax: We now recognise some people find autoplay video intrusive and we’re dropping it
Fairfax Media is to drop its controversial use of autoplay video.
Fairfax Digital’s commercial director of media Ed Harrison told Mumbrella: “We’ll be doing it over the next few months. We’ll be moving to exciting new video formats.”
Fairfax Media has previously argued that autoplay videos were welcomed by most users.
Last year Fairfax Digital’s MD of media Pippa Leary said: “What’s amazing is 75% of people who come to the site watch those videos to completion. We test it constantly. We ask them those questions – overwhelmingly they come back and say no, we prefer to stop it.”
But last month media agency UM announced a ban on buying ads against autoplay after its own survey suggested widespread user dissatisfaction.
The issue concerns agencies who were concerned that videos were starting without users initiating it, meaning they would potentially have scrolled down and would not even see the video – and accompanying ad.
Harrison said: “Six months is a long time in the video space and things change rapidly.”
He added: “It’s fair to say that our discussions with agencies helped shape our thoughts.
“We recognise that there’s a group of people who found it an intrusive experience.”
Harrison said that the issue of autorefreshing pages was a different one, that would be resolved once the company moves to a new content management system “in the coming months or longer”. However, he said that most advertisers do not buy ads on autorefreshed pages on a CPM basis.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
Linkedin
WTF… it is toggle to turn autoplay off NOW, why the delay.
As for “some” people, show me anyone that liked the autoplay ads.
User ID not verified.
Awesome news.
I’m no technical science laboratorian, but I don’t understand why it will take a few months to turn off.
User ID not verified.
These morons running the show should apologise to Pippa.
They put her out there as a scape goat, (edited under Mumbrella’s comemnt moderation policy)
User ID not verified.
Two words: adblock.
User ID not verified.
Apparently this is the reason – clients had already forward booked the auto-play video format up until Sept.
User ID not verified.
It’ll take time because of contractual restraints. “Months” means even Fairfax was testing the water. If they do it now, they’ll have their bottoms sued into the middle of next century.
I doubt Fairfax will ever grasp the full knowledge of the damage this did it’s brand. A strong theme has developed toward entering this type of abuse/invasion into privacy laws.
Imagine being accosted by a sales person every time you browsed another item in a store. Thank goodness for click through ads. At least I can join the millions who click, click, click static ads simply to cost the annoying critters money.
Oh Fairfax! From Investigative journalism to fake watches in your overcoat.
About darn time!
User ID not verified.
Great. Now lets work on stopping involuntary homepage takeover display ads and we might be able to gain control back of our user experience!
User ID not verified.
Bitter and Twisted, if all major publishers stopped the homepage takeovers, they would have to look at making that money some other way – perhaps a pay wall???
I’d rather watch a flashy ad on The Age homepage than pay a monthly fee for access to content.
User ID not verified.
Thank goodness!
User ID not verified.
These things were the reason I installed ad blocking software. I dont mind the ads on my iPhone. They don’t move or make noises.
User ID not verified.
Les Wood abides
User ID not verified.
“What’s amazing is 75% of people who come to the site watch those videos to completion.”
Yeah, I’m going to go out a small limb here and assume that most people scroll down to, you know, READ the article, and wold just turn the sound off or something as soon as they hear the video playing (and let’s face it, it begins with an bloody ad many times), rather then bother scrolling back UP to find the pause button.
Hence they’re not ACTUALLY watching it to completion, Fairfax. They’re just begrudgingly letting it roll on, off screen.
Anyone else got any thoughts about this?
User ID not verified.
I agree Caitlan, and ask they show us the proof anyone is actually watching these annoying intrusions to the end. Should not they be opt in rather than opt out?
User ID not verified.
Farewell the Fairfax foie gras! It cannot happen soon enough!
Autoplay video ads are an overambitious intrusion that demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the individuals who visit the website.
Thank you Fairfax for listening to the people….at last.
User ID not verified.
Shows how fast acting FD are – advertisers and agencies have had issues with this since it started in mid 2009 … at this rate we might see the end of auto refresh in 2014!
Slow down guys!
User ID not verified.
@Caitlin I think most of the time it’s accidentialy activated via mouse over and it’s sometimes difficult to close it down before it finishes playing, as the close button is not always easy to find.
Other point is that users open a new tab and the auto play continues in the background but the user has moved onto something else…
I would say that’s the only way they could have got 75% watch rates..
User ID not verified.
Mumbrella deserves hearty congratulations for its excellent coverage of this scandalous situation where advertisers were being cheated in full public view by a supposedly respectable media company.
Loved the line from the Fairfax exec:
“It’s fair to say that our discussions with agencies helped shape our thoughts.
I bet it did.
Well done.
User ID not verified.
Thank God! I had stopped looking at their videos as I hated the enforced adverts. Show me ANYONE who allegedly liked the setup. Lies.
User ID not verified.
THANK GOD.
User ID not verified.
@Andrew Landeryou, Mumbrella isn’t the only one deserving of a pat on the back. Adnews found out first and broke the story exclusively on their website.
http://www.adnews.com.au/news/.....s-autoplay
User ID not verified.
Fairfax are quite simply cowboys. When you scroll to the beginning of an article you lose site of the vid. If you have your set up on mute you play the ad and vid from beginning to end without knowing. Only crooks would allow this to happen on their website. Cowboy crooks, unethical and ‘un Australian’
Happy Easter
User ID not verified.
@ Amy – is that foie gras or faux pas? I’m trying to draw links between duck liver and autoplay ads…
User ID not verified.