YouTube has launched 30-second unskippable TV ads – what will you do? [Poll]


Google says that its new 30-second ad format for YouTube is now available, but only on TVs.

YouTube has become increasingly popular on TVs in recent years, with Google now delivering a new ad format that’s specific to the biggest screen in your home. “VRC Non-skip” ads started rolling out on March 2, Google confirmed, with advertisers now able to access and publish ads using the new format.

Describing the format, Google explained:

  • Built for the big screen: Non-skips are optimized for CTV delivery and ensure your message is delivered in its entirety.
  • AI-powered optimization: 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.
  • Drive better performance: AI-powered precision helps drive greater efficiency across multiple non-skip ad formats, delivering more unique reach and impact compared with manual mixes of single-format campaigns.

So these new ads are designed to appear as a non-skippable video when on connected TVs, but as shorter ads when on other device types. Google’s AI “dynamically” optimizes based on the device and content.

These ads have been in testing for months – and announced as far back as 2023 – but this is the official, general launch of the format. That said, wide adoption won’t happen overnight.

The question, though, is around how you’ll respond. YouTube ads can often feel a bit overwhelming, or at least frustrating, to the point where it’s clear that a lot of people use ad-blockers on the platform. On TVs, though, that’s a bit harder to do. So there are a few options. You can deal with the new ads, stop watching YouTube on TVs, subscribe to YouTube Premium, or take more drastic measures.

What will you do?

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