YouTube is phasing out unskippable 30-second ads starting in 2018, the Google-owned video service announced Friday.
“We’re committed to providing a better ads experience for users online,” YouTube told Variety. “As part of that, we’ve decided to stop supporting 30-second unskippable ads as of 2018 and focus instead on formats that work well for both users and advertisers.”
Currently, some videos feature unskippable six-second bumper ads that were introduced last year.
However, the UK-based marketing and advertising media brand Campaign notes that the other 15 and 20-second long ad formats can also be made unskippable.
While the changes to the 30-second format may upset advertisers, some experts say it’s a price that YouTube is willing to pay to keep people watching.
“I’m reading this as a signal that YouTube is very worried about Facebook,” Callum McCahon, strategy director for social media agency Born Social told Campaign. “We know that video is right at the very core of Facebook’s roadmap. Their video offering is becoming ever more attractive to brands by the day, and YouTube is panicking.”
Indeed, Facebook has recently been doubling down on its video services, with its announcement on Tuesday that it’s working on a dedicated streaming app for set-top box devices like Apple TV, among other changes.
Image credit: Flickr – Travis Wise
Via: The Verge
