A watch party that works with ads
Plans with ads cost less, so someone in your party will hit an ad break sooner or later. TellyJam waits for them, says who and for how long, and starts everyone again together.
TellyJam is coming to the Chrome Web Store soon.
Tested live on Prime Video’s plan with ads, in Chrome, including ads placed inside the video. Netflix and HBO Max ad breaks have not come up in our live tests yet, so ad handling there is built but not yet confirmed. YouTube, Twitch, Tubi and the beta services are not checked yet.
What happens during an ad break
- Someone’s ad starts. TellyJam sees the ad on their player and tells the party.
- The party holds. Everyone else stops a moment after the point where the ad began. A banner says who you are waiting for and how long their ad has left, for example “Waiting for Ana · ad ends in 0:20”.
- Everyone resumes together. When the last ad ends, everyone starts again on the same frame.
Plans with and without ads, in one party
TellyJam keeps the party on the show’s own timeline, not the player’s clock. Some services, Prime Video among them, put ads inside the video, so each person’s player clock includes the ads they saw. TellyJam keeps track of each break, so people with ads, with different ads or with no ads stay on the same scene.
Don’t want to wait?
Anyone who controls playback can choose Don’t wait on the banner. Hosts can turn off Wait for everyone in the sidebar’s Settings.
Ads on each service
- Prime Video: tested live on a plan with ads, in Chrome.
- Netflix and HBO Max: ad handling is built in. No ad break has come up in our tests yet.
- YouTube: ads play in place of the video for a moment, and the party is built to wait. Not yet checked on the real site.
- Twitch, Tubi and the beta services: a general ad check is built in. Not yet checked on the real sites.
What TellyJam never does
It never skips, blocks or shortens ads, and it never changes how a service delivers its video. Everyone sees the ads their own plan includes.
Questions
Does TellyJam skip ads?
No. Everyone sees the ads their own plan includes. TellyJam only keeps the party together around them.
Can people with and without ads watch together?
Yes. The party runs on the show’s own timeline, so different ads, or none, don’t pull anyone out of sync.
What if one person’s ad is much longer?
The party waits for the last person in an ad. If you’d rather not wait, anyone who controls playback can choose Don’t wait, and hosts can turn off Wait for everyone in Settings.
Which services are tested with ads?
Prime Video’s plan with ads, live in Chrome. Netflix and HBO Max ad handling is built in, but no ad break has come up in our tests yet.
Related guides
- Prime Video watch partyTested live on a plan with ads, on primevideo.com and Amazon.
- Netflix watch partyTested live in Chrome. Chat, free calls and next-episode follow.
- HBO Max watch partyTested live in Chrome, from the invite link to steady sync.
- A Teleparty alternativeA factual comparison: browsers, calls, ads and price.
Ready to watch together?
TellyJam is free, with no account. Add it to Chrome, Edge or Firefox on a computer.
TellyJam is coming to the Chrome Web Store soon.
TellyJam is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of the services named here. All names are trademarks of their owners.