This Week in TV News: the Criterion Channel and Pause Screen Ads

This week, we’re talking about the Criterion Channel, Hulu’s new pause screen ads and the future of Super Bowl advertising.

Global streaming set to grow. A report from Morgan Stanley analysts found Netflix will account for 20% of U.S. online video consumption by 2023. The report found the biggest video growth will come from video services other than Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, including international streaming platforms. (Business Insider)

Stream classics this April. Movie lovers rejoice: the Criterion Channel will launch April 8 in the U.S. and Canada. The channel is the successor to FilmStruck, the now-defunct streaming service that showcased classic movies, along with arthouse, indie and foreign films. The new Criterion Channel will offer more than 1,000 movies and be available on desktop, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, iOS and Android. (Variety)

And now, a pause from one of our sponsors. In Q2, Hulu will roll out static ads that come up when viewers press pause on a program. Charmin and Coke will be the inaugural brands to try the ad format, part of Hulu’s effort at reducing commercial breaks. Jeremy Helfand, Hulu’s VP and Head of Ad Platforms, said the company is aiming for half of its ad revenue to come from “non-disruptive” ad formats within three years. (Digiday)

The future of Super Bowl Ads. A feature from Wired dives into Super Bowl ads, starting with Skittles’ ad this year, which isn’t actually an ad; it’s a musical. And it won’t air during the game; it’ll be performed live at Town Hall in Manhattan on gameday. And it won’t be broadcast. Oreo’s “Dunk in the Dark” tweet redefined what viral, mass-audience advertising six years ago. Where will Super Bowl ads go from here? (Wired)

See last week’s TV news.