How to Get Rid of Commercials

Eliminating commercials largely depends on where you encounter them. From web browsers to streaming services and traditional television, various strategies can help reduce or remove unwanted advertisements.

Eliminating Ads in Web Browsers

Many online ads, including pop-ups, banners, and pre-roll video ads, can be managed or blocked directly through browser settings or specialized extensions.

1. Use Ad Blocker Extensions

Ad blocker extensions are small software programs that you add to your web browser. They work by detecting and blocking ad requests from websites, preventing advertisements from loading.

• How they work: These extensions analyze web pages and block elements identified as ads, often using community-maintained filter lists.
• Benefits: Highly effective against most types of online ads, including banner ads, pop-ups, and video ads on platforms like YouTube (though YouTube specifically targets these).
• Considerations: Some websites might detect ad blockers and request you disable them to view content, or certain site functionalities might be affected.

2. Configure Browser Settings for Intrusive Ads

Modern web browsers offer built-in settings to manage or block intrusive ads, pop-ups, and redirects. For example, if you use Chrome, you can adjust your settings to prevent sites from showing these types of ads:

• On your computer, open Chrome.
• At the top right, click the three-dot "More" icon, then select Settings.
• Go to Privacy and security, and then click Site settings.
• Scroll down to Additional content settings and click Intrusive ads.
• From here, you can select the option you want as your default setting, such as "Block sites that show intrusive or misleading ads."

Similar settings may be available in other browsers like Firefox, Edge, or Safari, allowing you to control ad experiences directly.

Avoiding Ads on Streaming Services

The rise of streaming has introduced new ways to watch content, and with it, new strategies to manage commercials.

1. Opt for Premium, Ad-Free Subscriptions

Many popular streaming services offer an ad-free tier for an additional monthly fee. This is often the most straightforward way to completely eliminate commercials from your viewing experience on these platforms.

• Examples: Netflix, Hulu (No Ads plan), Disney+, Max (Ad-Free plan), Paramount+ (Premium plan), and Peacock (Premium Plus plan) all offer ad-free options.
• How it works: By subscribing to the higher-priced tier, you gain access to the same content without commercial interruptions.

2. Utilize Ad-Free Streaming Platforms

Some streaming services are designed to be completely ad-free as part of their standard subscription model.

• Examples: Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video (most content) are primarily ad-free, although Amazon Prime Video recently introduced ads for most content unless you pay an additional fee for ad-free.

3. Consider YouTube Premium

For content consumed on YouTube, a YouTube Premium subscription removes ads across all videos, allows background playback, and enables downloads.

Reducing Ads on Traditional TV

While completely eliminating commercials on traditional broadcast or cable TV can be challenging, there are methods to significantly reduce your exposure.

1. Use a Digital Video Recorder (DVR)

A DVR allows you to record live television and watch it later. The key benefit is the ability to fast-forward through commercial breaks.

• Benefits: Provides control over your viewing schedule and enables commercial skipping.
• Considerations: Requires a DVR device or service, usually through your cable/satellite provider.

2. Watch On-Demand Content

Many cable and satellite providers offer on-demand libraries of shows and movies. While some on-demand content may still contain ads, it's often significantly less frequent or shorter than live broadcast commercials.

3. Embrace Streaming Apps for Live TV

If you subscribe to live TV streaming services (e.g., Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV), you often have access to a cloud DVR function, allowing you to record and skip commercials. Additionally, many specific network apps (e.g., NBC, ABC, CBS) allow you to sign in with your TV provider credentials to watch shows on-demand, often with fewer or no commercials compared to live broadcast.

Other General Strategies

• Premium News Subscriptions: Many online news outlets offer premium, ad-free versions of their content for subscribers.
• Podcast Subscriptions: Some podcast platforms or individual podcasters offer ad-free versions of their shows through premium subscriptions.

By combining these strategies, you can significantly reduce your exposure to commercials across various media.