Sony PlayStation pushes ad‑supported model as streaming giants weigh free tiers

Sony has been building an internal advertising team within its PlayStation division and is preparing to expand ad placements across its consoles, storefront and services. The move follows earlier experiments with in‑game ads and mirrors similar initiatives by Microsoft and game publisher Electronic Arts.

In the United States, major streaming services Disney+, Paramount+ and Netflix are reportedly evaluating fully free, ad‑supported subscription tiers. Analysts note that ad‑supported streaming now accounts for about 19% of TV usage, and such tiers could attract new users while generating additional ad revenue, though they risk cannibalising existing paid subscriptions.