YouTube has been planning to offer new advertising formats on the platform for some time. It should therefore come as no surprise that this plan is now being put into practice – especially after Google recently restricted the use of ad blockers.
The company has now confirmed to The Verge that advertisers will be able to show adverts when users have paused a video. Allegedly, YouTube was “met with a positive response from both advertisers and viewers” when testing the new offer. But we cautiously doubt that.
Ads spotted in the wild
The main reason to doubt the “positive response” to the new form of advertising is the fact that some users on Reddit have already stumbled across the adverts on the pause screen and have reacted with shock and annoyance. Here are some examples:
YouTube claims that ads are not disruptive
YouTube states that adverts will not be disruptive during the video pause. However, it depends very much on what is being advertised and whether users need to see the adverts permanently. For example, anyone who pauses to stand up and no longer has the screen in view anyway will probably not feel irritated.
However, if you are repeatedly confronted with new products just because you wanted to pause the video for a moment, this can become quite annoying. Or if you want to take a screenshot in pause mode.
Amazon is also planning to run similar adverts on Prime Video in the future, which can lead to products. The companies are specifically testing how they can utilise advertising formats as lucratively and creatively as possible… whether viewers like it or not.
However, the advertising does have one advantage: YouTube promises to place fewer normal adverts on its videos in return – if this is actually implemented.
But what about the UK?
The new ad break does not yet appear to have been introduced in the UK. However, it is only a matter of time before the change takes effect here too.
If they do, then the best way to get rid of them is to sign up for YouTube Premium.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and adapted from German.
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