If you are a regular Stremio user, you have noticed that our desktop and mobile apps do sometimes show ads. Our Android users also had the choice between seeing advertisements, or volunteering some of their device resources to enjoy an ad-free experience.
We are now changing this, and for the time being, no more ads will be shown on any of our apps.
We wish we could leave Stremio ad-free forever; however, we monetize our service through advertising alone, therefore this option is not viable for us in the long term. In the near future, we will start broadcasting ads again but with a little difference: all advertisements will be supplied exclusively through the AdEx network.
What is AdEx
AdEx is a project that we been partnering with since its very conception. Created by the founders of Stremio, it introduces blockchain technology into the advertising industry. For those of you unfamiliar with blockchain, this technology brings to the table many benefits, the major one being absolute transparency. This will attract the attention of quality advertisers who will only be offering you meaningful products and services based on your preferences.
As an end user, you will have the chance to access your AdEx profile and fine-tune its settings. This means that you will only see ads for things you are actually interested in. At the same time, you will be helping us monetize Stremio and keep offering the fantastic service you know and love. Of course, tweaking your profile will not be mandatory – you will have the option to do it if you want, but if you’d rather not, then that’s ok too.
The AdEx team is now finalizing the beta version of its platform. It’s schedule for release next month and we are very excited that Stremio will be the first ad publisher it will work.
Why the change
We tried a number of different third-party ad serving providers but sadly, none of them checked all the boxes on our list. We admit it was a long and comprehensive list but we want to offer you the best video streaming experience possible – so it’s logical for us to have many requirements for our partners third-party providers.
We trust that AdEx will deliver exactly the service we’re expecting for the network for your enjoyable Stremio experience.
What does this mean to you
First and foremost, that change means that you will be able to continue enjoying Stremio 100% free of charge.
Additionally, we will give you more control over your advertising preferences – this will happen through your AdEx profile. As we mentioned earlier, it will be up to you whether to leave it as it is and don’t bother with it, or fill it in and get even more meaningful ads.
For more information about AdEx, visit the project’s website, or check out their blog on Medium.