During my time in the United States, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the way media is consumed in that massive country. Everything there feels bigger. The houses, the distances, the people, the portion sizes, you name it. So it didn’t come as a surprise when I stumbled upon a large selection of “free” films available on YouTube TV. Together with my girlfriend, I picked one, ready to sit back and enjoy.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Not So Free After All

Before the film even started, we were greeted by a two to three minute ad break. Not exactly shocking, of course. Nothing in media is truly free. If you’re not paying with money, you’re paying with your time and attention. That rule definitely applies here.

The platform offered a rotating catalogue of films that had recently aired on major US television channels. It seemed like a decent deal at first glance.

A Promising Documentary, Constantly Interrupted

We ended up choosing The Tale of Silyan, a North Macedonian production about a boy who supposedly transforms into a stork. The film offers a glimpse into rural life in North Macedonia and the challenges that come with it. It’s gentle, intriguing, and… wait, another ad break?

Because here’s the catch. This eighty-minute documentary was interrupted by no fewer than sixteen ad breaks, each lasting two to three minutes. Do the math, and you’re essentially watching an extra half film’s worth of advertisements. It’s absurd.

To make matters worse, the ads were often repetitive, meaning we quickly stopped paying attention altogether whenever a new block started.

When Monetization Goes Too Far

This kind of aggressive monetization, even in a country as commercially driven as the United States, completely misses the mark. A few ad breaks during a film? Fine, I can live with that. It’s becoming more common anyway. But sixteen interruptions? That’s just excessive.

It completely destroys the flow of the film. You never really get immersed, and that defeats the whole purpose of watching in the first place.

A Good Film, Undermined by the Format

We eventually made it to the end, more out of stubbornness than anything else. Not because the documentary itself wasn’t good. On the contrary, Silyan and his father have a certain quiet magic about them that deserves real praise.

But the constant interruptions damage the experience to such an extent that it becomes hard to recommend. If this is the direction we’re heading in, it might be reason enough to step away from traditional platforms and streaming services altogether, and maybe even return to a more analogue way of watching and consuming media.

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