Why do some videos online have commercials in them?

That’s how the company that owns the website makes some money so that you can watch the video for free.

What @zenvelo said. It costs money to make those websites where you watch streaming videos free. This is how people make money making videos on youtube as well.

The same reason television, movies, and radio all have commercials.

I’ve wondered the same thing myself. This may not be where @AshlynM was going…my question about it really pertains to YouTube videos. For example, there is often one video posted by two different members. One has a preceding ad, and the other doesn’t. How do ads on YouTube come about?

My daughter Becky is into suspension. That means she has hooks put under her skin, and she hangs from wires connected to a tree, a ceiling, or whatever. She finds this releases her stress.
I’m so proud

Her friend made this video of Becky suspending (I think it was in Santa Cruz). She is the feature of the video, and suggested the music, but her friend posted it on You Tube.
As the video approached 100,000 hits, You Tube contacted her friend, and offered to buy it. They were going to give him money (I am guessing $5,000) for the rights to the video. You Tube would then put a short commercial on the beginning of the clip, before you watch it.
Becky’s friend asked her what she thought, and Becky said she didn’t want the money, and liked the idea that people could watch it without commercials, so her friend didn’t sell the rights.
The video has over 116,000 hits to date.

You can qualify for YouTube partnership if you have a successful video. YT partners are paid for their views by Google (owners of YT).

Google is paid by advertising companies to put short adverts before the most watched. One of the most notable differences in noticing whether a member is being paid or not, are the adverts at the start of their videos.

@filmfann Are those hooks really in her skin? With her swinging like that? Wouldn’t that rip her skin and make her fall? Ok nevermind, I just saw up close…....I had to turn it off….lol. No offense.

I guess I could elaborate. With sites like tvland, and southparkstudios, they have commercials in their videos. On tvland, I was watching Everybody Loves Raymond, and every 10 seconds it seemed there was a commercial. Some websites you can watch entire seasons commercial free.

@AshlynM Please accept my apology. I didn’t mean to sidetrack the answers to your question.

I dont know but that is a great question.