YouTube will launch a 30-second ad on TVs that can’t be skipped
YouTube will introduce unskippable 30-second ads in the platform’s most popular content on TVs. It will be similar to commercials that have aired on broadcast and cable television for decades. Company executives announced this during the YouTube Brandcast presentation in New York, writes Variety.
The ad unit will first launch in the US, and later this year it will expand to international markets. YouTube is already selling back-to-back 15-second blocks of commercials.
In addition, the company will test new “Pause Experiences” for YouTube on TV screens. They will show ads when viewers pause the video. This option will be launched as an experiment for buyers of television advertising. Ads can contain a QR code that will allow the audience to interact with the brand.
YouTube also boasted about the huge reach of the platform. According to Nielsen, more than 150 million unique viewers watched YouTube and YouTube TV on TVs in the United States last December. Also, YouTube remains the most popular service on TV screens in America, and in April it became one of the few streaming services that showed a monthly increase.
“Viewers — especially younger viewers — no longer make a distinction between the kind of content they’re watching. When they turn on the TV, they want everything they love in one place — from their favorite creators, to blockbuster movies, to football. And they can find it all on YouTube,” YouTube CEO Neil Mohan noted.
He also drew attention to YouTube’s ability to use artificial intelligence. This is already done in order to show ads to the right audience, improve performance, etc. However, this is only the beginning.
“Simply put, AI will transform the way we make videos. You can imagine that with just the click of a button, I could change my hair color or change my background to instantly transport myself from the desert to a forest,” emphasized the CEO.
It was previously reported that YouTube requests some users turn off ad blockers or pay for a premium subscription or they won’t be allowed to watch the video.