I subscribed to The times in the UK for a trial period. On the website I experienced the same level of AdSense type ads as I did with most other free alternatives. I was under the impression, before signing up, that I was paying to avoid this?

And, as for cancelling, let's just say they don't make it easy.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that traditional publishers will continue to commit suicide no matter what Google do.

Actually most people assume they'll avoid being tracked or being spammed with ads after they pay for a subscription. They underestimate the desire for more revenues.

I believe the Times is behind a soft paywall - you only have access to a limited number of articles, free.