Pre-cinema ads getting longer and ‘wasting time’ of frustrated film fans

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/mar/08/pre-cinema-adverts-getting-longer-and-wasting-time-of-frustrated-film-fans

30 comments

  1. Wasting time that means I may need to go to the loo again by the time the movie finally starts.

  2. I feel like so many companies don’t look inward about what’s causing people not to use their products or services anymore

  3. This, among other things, is why movie ticket sales are slumping.

  4. If your movie *starts* at a certain time, just add 20 minutes before you show up to your seat. You’ll miss one or two trailers you may of been interested in but you’ll definitely miss those weird ads.

  5. It’s like, BISH, I already paid my ticket! Why am I getting ads????

  7. Stupid advertisers don’t get it that when we begin to resent the intrusion on our time, we associate it with their clients’ products. The even more stupid clients don’t get this either.

  8. I always show up 20 minutes after the listed start time now because of this. Trailers and commercials are always 30-35 minutes at the theater I regularly go to.

  9. It takes 25 minutes for any movie to actually start from the listed start time.

  10. Every time I’ve tried to show up late to avoid the commercials I got the timing wrong and missed the beginning of the movie. 🙁

  11. The theaters where I live, the ads are Coca-Cola propaganda. I would much prefer that Maria Menounos show that used to play in front of movies

  12. How to make me refuse to watch a movie in theaters ever again 101.

  13. I’ve been showing up 10 minutes late to the last movies I and still catching 2-3 pre ads before trailers.

  15. My 7 yr old asked me if I paid for the cheaper version of the movie in the theater because of the 30 minutes of ads…. She’s used to the streaming services that offer ads and no ads tiers.

  17. I haven’t been to a movie theater in so long I can’t comment , which is a bummer because I really like going, hopefully a good movie will come out

  18. If the movie is supposed to start at 12, then have ads before and let it start at 12. Not 30 minutes of ads starting at 12, people don’t plan their day around that extra crap or have time for it. 

  19. As someone who works in the industry – I can only speak for the UK most as companies contract to a max of 12-15 mins of adreels.

    However you should expect first week of release certain films to be to the limit of that. You make money usually per admission for each play. So the opening weeks of a film equals more advert money. The advert money can usually pay for a duty manager day each months wage or there around depending on your deal at a smaller site. Obviously big sites will earn a lot more.

    They are important in the regard although some cinemas don’t have adverts at all -either because they sell their own adspace or make enough regardless but for many it’s a vital extra income source.

    The actual bigger issue I think especially with big companies like Cineworld/Odeon (AMC) is the sheer amount of their own adverts and trailers.

    3-5 trailers I think is the max you should have, and be mindful of the trailer lengths – it’s the only time really you can advertise films directly – problem is the chains will play tons of trailers and for films they aren’t going to screen at that particular site.

    Then comes in their own adverts for products, memberships and such. Again it’s the only time you can directly advertise to a customer and I understand the need but 3-4 of these is too much. I’ve sat in a Cineworld before and it’s been 30 minutes before the film began I thoguht that was ridiculously excessive.

    A sweet spot is 15-20 mins. Realistically adverts have always been over 10-15 mins to begin with and I think trailers are important. But half an hour is borderline criminal

  20. I feel like Alamo Drafthouse does a good job of not wasting time with non-movie trailer ads. AMC on the other hand, 3 hours of coke ads.

  21. You buy reserved seats and show up 25 min after the listed show start. Problem solved

  22. Ads and trailers now take like 15-30 minutes it’s crazy. It wasn’t this bad a decade ago.

  23. 100 goddamn percent. It’s like 40 minutes now.

  24. So sad. Going to see a movie in a theater was childhood fun. Now as an adult it sucks. I hate ads. Especially if it’s overdone. I use to love trailers. Now i just watch trailers on YouTube. Same with radio too many damn, annoying ads. Now they are moving to streaming for those who don’t want to pay premium. Ugh

  25. In the US it actually feels like they’re shorter now than they were in the late 90s/ early 2000s. There was always an army recruitment ad, a Coca Cola ad or those short Coca Cola films, a car commercial, plus all the trailers. It’s still 15-20 minutes, but used to be more like 30.

  26. I leave my apartment at roughly the time the movie starts, live about a 20 minute walk, stop and get snacks at a convenience store and then will probably get popcorn and I still get their before Nicole Kidman thanks me for enjoying AMC

  27. Movie theaters are struggling because moviegoers habits have changed. So I understand they have to try to keep the lights on. But they definitely shouldn’t prioritize profits over experience. I’m fine with a few commercials while I’m sitting there. But once the movie time comes, it should be either movie trailers or the movie itself.

  28. This is why for years now I always show up 15 minutes late intentionally

  29. Capt. America had 27minutes in ads. It felt endless and it was getting comically annoying

  30. We just show up about 20 minutes after the start time, solves that problem.

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