According to Harvard Business Review Polska, which published the study, two test groups were shown three types of programs:
- episodes of the comedy series *Taxi*,
- documentary nature films,
- and Bollywood productions.
One group watched the programs without ads, while the other saw them with ad interruptions. The results were surprising: the group that saw the shows with ads was more satisfied with the programs, regardless of the quality of the ads shown.
source: Harvard Business Review Polska, Why Do We Prefer TV with Ads?Surprisingly, viewers who watched the version with ads were also willing to pay more for DVD sets of productions by the same directors. The study published by Harvard Business Review Polska found that this difference could be as much as 30%.
- viewers of the ad-free version offered $4.18 for a DVD
- viewers of the ad-supported version were willing to pay up to $5.42 for the same DVD.
The study authors note that this principle is reflected in pay TV, even though it doesn’t include ads. These networks structure their programming with built-in breaks.
- What increases viewer enjoyment isn’t the ads themselves but the breaks in the show, - explains Prof. Leif Nelson in an interview with HBRP. - In series, the plot usually consists of six or more parallel storylines that producers continuously juggle. More complex and unpredictable shows, with twists that naturally introduce breaks, were rated higher than programs with a more linear narrative structure.
This is known as the adaptation effect. The researchers found that this effect is much stronger among younger people. As people age, they need less stimulation to feel pleasure and adapt more slowly.
Nelson, Meyvis, and Galak`s research was also published in the Harvard Business Review Polska special report Why Do We Prefer TV with Ads?
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Marketing and PR
How and why online stores lie. TrustMate report
Marek Jaworowski
Experts from the TrustMate.io platform analyzed the most common procedural errors and inaccuracies that lead Polish online stores to wrongly deny buyers their rights. They also prepared an appeal path for consumers who heard a refusal from customer service.
Online shopping in Poland. Report by the Chamber of Digital Economy
Patrycja Sołtysik, Izba Gospodarki Elektronicznej
For the fourth consecutive year, 100% of internet users declare making a digital purchase at least once, and 93% have shopped online in the last six months. 97% of purchases in Poland involve an internet-connected device at some stage - most commonly a smartphone.
Coffee for moms. This is how they recharge parents' batteries at the Wrocław children's hospital
Reporterzy support
24 hours, 7 days a week, for 3 months. Non-stop. That is the average time a mother spends in an oncology hospital, caring for her child during treatment. A new project has launched at the Przylądek Nadziei (Cape of Hope) children's oncology clinic in Wrocław. In a simple way, it helps parents reduce stress, calm their emotions, and boosts their energy for caregiving. And that directly translates into the effectiveness of the children's treatment.
See articles on a similar topic:
What to do when a child bites nails? Advice from a child psychologist
patronat Reporterzy.info
For children, nail-biting is often a way to cope with boredom or stress. However, our role is to intervene when we notice this habit, not only for aesthetic reasons but also to address potential underlying causes. What might these be, and what can we do?
Short Social Video. IAB Poland Report on Short Videos in Social Media
Krzysztof Fiedorek
According to the IAB Poland report from May 2024, short video clips are becoming increasingly popular in Poland. In 2023, 61% of internet users in Poland watched the format known as short social video, and 23% of them created such videos themselves. Polish internet users spend an average of 43 minutes a day watching them.
Rules of SEO in the AI era. The end of FAQ rich results and spam
Sandra Kluza, Harbingers
Google is increasingly distancing itself from AI hacks and reminding us that quality content, technical site availability, and user utility remain the foundation of visibility. AI Search does not replace SEO.
PR in Poland. Ranking of the largest public relations agencies 2025
KFi
The smallest teams often generate the most publications, and agencies outside Warsaw are increasingly capturing media attention. This unexpected distribution of power is one of the key findings from the 2025 PR Agency Ranking in Poland, developed by Widoczni and IMM.





























