Google will remove the unpopular and unskippable 30-second pre-roll advertisements from its videos from next year.
The company told Campaign it plans to drop the format in favour of more user-friendly options.
However, it’s not all good news for consumers who are often subject to data-draining ads before accessing their favorite YouTubers’ latest clips.
Related: How to download YouTube videos to watch offline
“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,” the company said.
The addition of more six-second commercials may be designed to steer users away from ad blockers that negate the spots in the first place.
Just yesterday, Adguard released an extension for Microsoft Edge that specifically mentions YouTube adblocking.
The company is also facing a renewed challenge from Facebook, which revealed it is bringing video specific apps to smart TVs in the near future.
Will Google backing away from 30 second unskippable adds encourage you to disable the ad blocker? Share your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
