Most of us would prefer to skip through commercials. It is why DVR took off the way that it did and forever changed how we watch television. Sebastian Tomich, the Chief Commercial Officer of The Athletic, thinks differently.
As the subscription-based site begins integrating advertising, he isn’t worried about the user’s reaction.
“Sports fans almost want advertising to be part of their experience because they are used to all the integrations you see when you go to games and when you watch on TV,” Tomich told Ad Exchanger. “The field is so ripe to do creative things.”
When it launched, The Athletic prioritized an ad-free experience. The company’s goal was to generate all of its revenue from subscriptions. That plan changed when The New York Times acquired the business a little over a year ago.
As The Athletic begins to expand its offerings in the video and audio space, Tomich says the company does have a plan. Not all forms of advertising will be on the table.
“Pre-roll video is the one thing I know people will pay to get out of,” he said. “We’re paid products, so it’s hard for us to do pre-roll. You see it in the comments when a journalist inserts a YouTube video into the content and pre-roll ads show up with it. You get a lot of negative feedback, and we didn’t even sell the advertising.”
He told Ad Exchanger that he saw the most lucrative opportunity in the company’s app. Tomich envisions different brands owning different parts of the app, even coverage of a specific team.
