We used to get a break from the ads, now they are continuous. Is there any way I can pay to stop them?

No, there's no way to pay to stop the ads. Some players use ad blockers, which have variable success, depending on the device and the blocker. Some will just black out/white out the screen until the ad is over, so it saves no time. Others allow you to skip the ad. Also try tapping on the "cancel" button, sometimes it takes more than once.