JOHN KOBLIN

What happened to ad-free TV on streaming services? Ads are here, there — almost everywhere — on streaming services now. (Kaitlin Brito/The New York Times) — FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY WITH NYT STORY SLUGGED STREAMING ADS BY JOHN KOBLIN FOR MAY 26, 2024. ALL OTHER USE PROHIBITED — XNYT0530 XNYT0530

What happened to our ad-free TV?

Over the past decade, as media companies raced to introduce streaming services, they prized subscriber counts above all else. There was just one problem: profits.