YouTube TV has launched a new feature that makes ads longer and prevents users from skipping them. Google is reportedly rolling out new 30-second unskippable spots on its television app. In simpler terms, to avoid this issue, users need to subscribe to YouTube Premium.
YouTube TV has a new unskippable ad update
YouTube TV ads will be 30 seconds long and unskippable. According to Google, this move is specifically aimed at YouTube’s TV experience, as viewers have likened it to television viewing. Google has been experimenting with ad formats that mimic television ad breaks (via Dexerto).
According to the American tech giant, the longer ad format allows advertisers to reach their target customers more effectively, who are consuming content in a more relaxed setting. “Google AI dynamically optimizes between 6-second Bumpers, 15-second standard, and 30-second CTV-only non-skippable ad formats, ensuring your campaign reaches the right audience at the right time.”
The move consolidates Google’s YouTube’s growing focus on television screens. The tech giant has realized that viewers prefer the YouTube app on their smart TVs and streaming devices rather than on phones and laptops. Notably, financial research firm MoffettNathanson even declared YouTube the “new king of all media” after revealing that it generated an estimated $62 billion in revenue last year, surpassing Disney (via The Hollywood Reporter).
In February, YouTube announced it was moving some previously Premium-exclusive features to its cheaper subscription tier, Premium Lite, at $7.99. However, that merely serves as a consolation for viewers who are frustrated by long, unskippable ads and the psychological pressure to upgrade to YouTube Premium.
One fan commented, “So the goal is to make YouTube feel more like cable TV, the exact thing everyone left cable TV to escape. Thirty seconds of your life, held hostage, every single video, unless you pay up. They did not make YouTube better. They just made leaving harder.”
Another fan wrote, “We literally used to watch YouTube to get away from ads. Now we’re getting forced to pay to get rid of them. YouTube used to be free, man.”
