Ads up front more likely to be skipped?

I’m all for robust advertising in podcast, I think that everything being super free has spoiled people and stifles opportunities for funding creativity.

So this is not a complaint, but an observation. I’ve noticed that the ads have moved more and more to the beginning of the program. So that instead of one to two minutes of ads, there’s now 4 to 6 before the intro even starts.

I’m curious what people find, are you more likely to listen to the ads if they are up top like that, or sprinkled throughout? I find that if they’re at the top, I just hit the skit button until I hear the intro music. If there’s somewhere in the middle, I’m more likely to be moving around doing chores and shit and just let them play.

This is more informal Paul than anything else. Just curious what people find in their listening habits.