Advertising in The Podcast?

@ArbitraryWater said:

I'm totally fine with them doing that, assuming they spend lengthy amounts of time talking about how awesome Extreme Restraints is.

@MariachiMacabre said:

As long as it's only Extreme Restraints.

Yep.

Fuck no, I'm actually strongly against this. I'm already paying a subscription fee to be here, I don't want to have to listen to how amazing Comcasts new gaming internet service is, one because adverts aimed at gamers are usually downright insulting and two because living in the UK literally none of the adverts would be even remotely relevant.

Ha! Having ad's in the podcast would mean Ryan has to do some actual editing...

I would be fine with this, though I'm not sure it's an effective long-term strategy. Again, ad revenue is probably going to start sinking in all media.

You guys know that the reason they're thinking about doing this is because the podcast currently receives waaaaay less site traffic than it does downloads because a ridiculous number of podcast subbers don't ever look at the site, right? They just download through iTunes every time and never visit.

What I'm saying is that premium content and, well, site content in general is a completely separate issue from monetizing the podcast in some way. It's not a matter of "ooh, they need more money." It's more "Well, this thing that takes, like, a combined 15+ manhours is earning us almost zero money. That's like three more Quick Look-sized features per week, and those get us ad revenue and/or site traffic. We really like it, so obviously we want to keep doing it, but we are a business. How do we make the podcast reasonably profitable, or at least self-sufficient?"

Also, as many people have pointed out, well-integrated or inoffensive ad sections (the beginning or end of a podcast, MBMBAM's "Money Zone") are totally cool.

GB is a personality-driven site, which means if you like the content you should also like the people. And if you like the people, wouldn't you want the people to be more successful? Of course no one wants to sit through 3-6 minutes of ads, but getting indignant and self righteous about it makes people come off as incredibly selfish. "Hey man, you want to give me a thousand hours of free content every year? Thanks, you're pretty great. Oh wait, you want me to have to actually pay attention to the road for five hours every year in return so you can eat? Well, fuck you man!"

Only if its like WWE/WWF start of broadcast ads

Ads during the podcast would bum me out. Rooster Teeth started doing this in the past year and it's fucking awful. They shill for some of the shittiest stuff, and act like they use it multiple times throughout the show. When you interrupt the middle of a conversation for the sake of reading an ad...you aren't doing it right. The SMOD network also does ads to the point that it's overwhelming, it typically turns into 10 minutes of Kevin Smith rambling to himself.

I'm sure GB would at least try to make it good, but I'm not gonna be able to take Ryan telling me to go to audible.com to download a free audiobook seriously.

If that's what it takes to justify keeping 3hour + podcasts?

Then hell yeah bring it on.

@MariachiMacabre said:

As long as it's only Extreme Restraints.

I was thinking Sub-Shop, but that's fine.

Hey, I listen to plenty of adverts in other podcasts; most for products I'm okay with (audible are podcast ad whores), but I've heard the same stuff so many times that I tend to skip right over it. It's the Hulu conundrum.

But I mean, if they're just ad breaks and not integrated into the actual discussion, there's no saying they can't put out an ad-free version for those of us paying them already. It's really the podcatcher crowd which doesn't visit the site that they're targeting.

If they put ads in the bombcast then there is no reason for me to be a subscriber any longer.

Guessing that if this happens it will be like the videos on the site where the 30 second ad is before it but this will be an audio version of the ads on the site. Would be better if the gb crew just traded off on reading the ads instead but whatever, as long as the ads on the site are short (for videos or podcasts), I can just wait a minute or mute it if it's annoying.

If they did them, I would be ok with something like the MBMBaM money zone advert block. For anyone not familiar with it they pimp the product but just ad lib the actual advertisement for the most part. The advert block for the 3 months or so they were sponsored by extreme restraints was some of the funniest stuff they have done all year. MBMBaM found a way to turn advertisements into actual content, didn't make it annoying, and never try to hide it into natural conversation like other hilarious T.V. based attempts. I'd be ok with something like that.

If it's funny and integrated into the show like MBMBAM, then cool, if it's shit like How Did This Get Made where they interrupt a conversation to play a long ad, then I'll be a little annoyed.

I would be fine with it, several podcasts I listen to already seem to do it and somehow get away with making fun of sponsors still (I'm not even actually sure if that hurts sponsorships or not though).
 
I think the problem with the Bombcast, if they did it, it would have to be for serious, it would force breaks (or a break) in the conversation, and also they have done the podcast so long if they start doing ads now some (which have posted in this thread) would see it as "selling out". I don't think people understand what selling out is anymore, but whatever. 
 
They sometimes have breaks anyway, so that part is probably fine and they could insert it there (although the break music would be missed =P) but getting the audience to be ok with it would be difficult. For some reason the internet hates advertising. I can see why, I guess. It was a blight on the internet (and arguably can still be) and is such an insidious thing on the internet as opposed to other mediums. Having it on the podcast, though, is no different to me then advertisements on the radio. I don't see the big deal, and people gotta make money. That's not a cop out, either, that's life. 
 
The nice thing about ads on the bombcast would be that the guys could actually pick and choose, so they could be more decisive about what is advertised. I'm not sure what is appropriate, but I'm sure they could figure that out. 
 
Ya, I don't have a problem with it, but other people might.

what do I care? it's a free podcast that lasts for multiple hours, surprised it doesn't already

I honestly have no problems with ads in podcasts, or at the start of videos for that matter.

Only if its sponsered by wendeys!

@Labman said:

I honestly have no problems with ads in podcasts, or at the start of videos for that matter.

Same here. I usually just tab out for 30 seconds. For podcasts, it's even shorter, and I'm usually driving when I'm listening to them.

Seems like a bad idea especially for paying members considering there constant trashing of ads on XBL.

I don't see anything wrong with there being advertising on the Bombcast as long as it's implemented well and doesn't lead to conflicts of interest. This basically means that they say straight up, this episode or segment is sponsored by ________ and read off a 30-60 second blurb. If the ad starts leaking into the discussion and you're not sure where the ad ends and the discussion begins, that's when I have a problem. And for the Bombcast, which is a pretty organic podcast, I could see it becoming an issue because they may using the ad as a way of launching into a tangent. To get around this, they should have someone pre-record the ads and then insert them into the podcast when it is being produced and edited instead of having someone read the ad during the recording of the podcast itself.

Part of the reason I listen to the Bombcast is to find out the crew's honest opinions on games so I don't want specific games, publishers and console manufacturers advertising. While I have the utmost respect for the honesty and integrity of the crew, it opens them up to criticism if they praise Game A or rip Game B during a segment sponsored by Game A, or Game A's publisher, or the console manufacturer if Game A is an exclusive. I know some people don't want to hear any more ads for Gamefly, Audible, Netflix or the other regular web advertisers but those companies are the ones I would find least objectionable because they don't create cause for concern that the crew or the content of the show are being influenced to talk about certain topics or praise/blast certain games because of ad money. With all that said, I'm pretty sure Jeff won't let something like this happen but the decision on whether to add advertising and selection of advertisers may come from someone higher up at CBSi and he and the Giant Bomb guys won't have much say.

To those talking about how this affects them as a premium member: the Bombcast is and has been free to everyone so it's not like some subscriber perk is being stripped away. If the crew can make an ad-free subscriber version, great. If not, I won't complain as long as there aren't too many ads and they don't run into the issues I mentioned above.

I would not appreciate that one bit.

But hey, still it would be better than splitting the podcast.

They did it with "The Hotspot" dident bother me then.

Jesus, what a bunch of entitled people in this thread.

This may surprise you, but this website is a business. I'm assuming if they DID add advertising to the podcast, subscribers would get an ad-free version, and non-subscribers would have to put up with ads.

Only if the ads are all read by Jeff.

@Jumbs said:

Jesus, what a bunch of entitled people in this thread.

This may surprise you, but this website is a business. I'm assuming if they DID add advertising to the podcast, subscribers would get an ad-free version, and non-subscribers would have to put up with ads.

No, sites run entirely on goodwill and pleasant thoughts. It's also how you pay for mortgages, bills and food.

I think i would rather have them personally advertise them in the cast since it would probably end up just being a funny mess around anyway and is what they would end up doing if it was in the actual Bombcast anyway, Christ have a 10 min segment just fowith them shouting out advertisements that would be awesome.

As long as they can do it in their own way I wouldn't mind, it can be a bit jarring though.

That said, as people have pointed out they already give enough publicity to certain brands when they chat about them, why not get paid to.

@Nightriff: Totally Agree

I don't mind, I always skip the ads in podcasts.

@Warchief said:

If they put ads in the bombcast then there is no reason for me to be a subscriber any longer.

The only reason you're a subscriber is so you don't have to hear a couple minutes of ads on a three hour podcast? That seems like an enormous waste of money to me.

The worst part of every podcast is hearing the host try to seem excited about stamps.com, go to meeting, audible.com, Adam and Eve, or whatever other shitty companies guys like Adam Carolla, Marc Maron, or Jay Mohr pretend to love.

Once you charge people for a membership to premium content or go on live tours you are not allowed to advertise.

Not something I would look forward to, but as long as it's handled with sufficient transparency and the volume on the ad bits isn't jacked up like it so often is on video ads, it seems reasonable.

Indifferent.

It could be funny.  It could be like the NDX if Jeff reads it.

I have no problems with ads in the podcast as long as it's not the guys being disingenuous and reading pre-written crap. The local radio station does bits where they talk about how great Dunkin Donuts coffee is, and it's painful to listen to.

Two minutes of an advert in a three hour podcast wouldn't bother me.

As long as it wasn't "candid" endorsements of a sponsor's products, then it'd be fine (ex: "I just with the codex in Mass Effect 4 could be more convenient, like the new Kindle En-Fuego.") A blocked out segment with clear "Thar be ads here" signs would be preferred.

This comment was brought to you with support from Audible.com, an Amazon company.

Moving away from the hypocrisy where the majority of the podcast is talking about retail products, I don't want any more ads than I have. Which is none. Honestly they bug and irritate the hell out of me. For some, a fun jingle or catchprase can be fun to use like back in the day the popularity of "Wassssuuuup" for me it is essentially the darkest of magics and mind manipulation.

Ad-free for premium members and we're golden. A good chunk of time is put into those podcasts when it's all said and done, they deserve to make money off em i guess?

Edit: actually wait, i don't know how ads on a podcast would work. I assumed like radio ads or something but people would just skip past that so it'd be pretty worthless. I guess i'd be fine with them just saying "hey here's this product" so.... my answer's the same!

Most every other podcast I listen to has ads, so I guess it wouldn't bother me provided it has no other effect on the content, i.e. the guys stop swearing or feel limited in anyway about what they can say or do.

No 10 minute ads like the start of SMOD network podcasts, that shit is atrocious specifically because of how unbelievably long it is.

@Rolyatkcinmai said:

I have no problems with ads in the podcast as long as it's not the guys being disingenuous and reading pre-written crap. The local radio station does bits where they talk about how great Dunkin Donuts coffee is, and it's painful to listen to.

To be fair every Dunkin Donuts I've ever been to has had great ass coffee. Too bad about the donuts, though.

@Marokai: ...I remember the old days too... :(

It's fine. I mean if they can creatively weave it in like they do in their "jokingly" ads I'm cool with it. And if it's not still not a big issue

I think it would be a complete waste of time for them to try and find a way to release a members only podcast version without the ads. Just put in some ad clips.

i pay premium to support them in their bombcast and some quicklook efforts, i'd be kinda pissed if i still got ads on the thing i care for most. supporters better not get adds.

I'm fine with it since a bunch of podcasts I listen to have ads in them. Then again I'm not paying so my opinion might be different if I was a premium subscriber.

only this commercial... 
  

Whatever. They wanna make money, they make some money. MBMBAM has ads and it's still one of the best podcasts out there. And yeah, something like Comedy Bang Bang takes a few too many ad breaks, but hey, I get it. They want money. And when you produce that much content essentially for free, it must be nice to get some money out of the deal.

And to be honest, Stamps.com saved my small business $48 a month! And Extrerestraints.com got me some pretty great products too. Thanks podcast ads.

MBMBaM has their advertisement game on lock. If the Bombcast could parallel them in any sense, let's get this ad train rolling.