Streaming Ads: comparative analysis of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ y HBO Max in Spain

Abstract

This study analyses how the main streaming platforms in Spain (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max) integrate advertising into their subscription plans. Through a quantitative analysis applied to 920 commercials and 536 series episodes, the advertising insertion strategies, the most prominent brands and the segmentation by gender, device and viewing type (binge watching or daily viewing) are identified. The results show that Prime Video is the platform with the highest advertising presence, although Netflix stands out for its personalisation, even using geolocation. HBO Max stands out by offering exclusively self-promotions, while Disney+ presents a hybrid model. Women's beauty products and supermarkets lead the most advertised categories, especially targeting female audiences. The study also examines the user experience, highlighting how the mid-roll advertising format, common on all platforms (except HBO Max), interrupts the narrative of the content, especially on Netflix. Likewise, there is a higher advertising load during binge watching on Prime Video, unlike Disney+, which reduces ads in this type of consumption. In conclusion, OTT platforms replicate the traditional television advertising model, adapting it to a more segmented digital environment. This study offers findings and opens up future lines of research on advertising perception and content personalisation.