Google continues to ramp up advertising to the point where users are now complaining about 90-second ad breaks that cannot be skipped when watching on a TV.
YouTube has changed significantly since the service launched in 2005 and was acquired by Google in 2006.
Today, it is the world's largest video platform, but dissatisfaction is growing over how it is being run by Google.
From 30 to 90 seconds
In May 2023, YouTube began allowing advertisers to run 30-second video ads that cannot be skipped unless the user pays for a YouTube Premium subscription.
Since then, users say 60-second non-skippable ads have appeared on TV devices, including Smart TV, Google TV, Apple TV, FireTV, Roku and consoles.
Now, YouTube appears to be coming full circle back to traditional TV channels. Users on Reddit report ad breaks exceeding 90 seconds, where ads cannot be skipped for the first 90 seconds, according to a report by 9to5Google.
In a statement, YouTube denies having a 90-second non-skippable ad format, but does not explain why users are seeing this, and it should by emphasized that users are not complaining about a single 90-second non-skippable ad, but rather ad breaks that cannot be skipped for 90 seconds.
- "YouTube does not have a 90-second non-skippable ad format. This isn't something we are testing right now. We're looking into this further," said YouTube in a statement.
YouTube now has ad breaks on TV where the first 90 seconds cannot be skipped. Photo: Ok_Neat1652, RedditCrackdown on ad blockers
At the same time, Google has intensified its crackdown on ad blockers – tools that remove ads on the user's device – and third-party apps such as SmartTube and NewPipe.
The company has also significantly increased the price of YouTube Premium and started cracking down on account sharing.
9to5Google concludes that the days of YouTube being a user-driven platforms are over. Today, YouTube has transformed into a service focused on advertisers, driven by ads and sponsored messages.
- Source: 9to5Google, Reddit (2)
