YouTube is enhancing its advertising strategy by introducing ads visible when users pause videos. After a trial period that garnered positive feedback from both businesses and audiences, the platform decided to implement this feature more broadly.
How Pause Screen Ads Function
YouTube began experimenting with ads displayed during video pauses in 2023 with select advertisers. The ads have proven profitable for Google, which owns YouTube. Google's Chief Business Officer, Philipp Schindler, told The Verge that advertisers' enthusiastic response. Oluwa Falodun, a communications manager at YouTube, mentioned that the ads are crafted to have minimal impact on the viewing experience. YouTube has yet to comment on whether this new format will lead to a reduction in the frequency of standard ads.
This strategy is not unique to YouTube, as other streaming services like Hulu and AT&T have already implemented similar methods. More recently, Sling TV introduced pause ads with an option for users to disable them in the settings. YouTube's adoption of this method is part of a wider industry trend of streaming services exploring alternative revenue streams in an increasingly competitive environment.
Reactions from Users and Advertisers
The introduction of pause screen ads has initiated discussions among users, especially on platforms like Reddit. YouTube maintains that this ad format addresses both advertisers' and viewers' needs, blending income potential with user satisfaction. The company remains committed to testing various ad types, such as unskippable ads and extended, less frequent ad breaks to boost interaction and revenue.
I paused my video and this showed up
byu/Pale_Baker3255 inyoutube
In less controversial YouTube news this week, the company revealed its new Hype feature. Through the ‘Hype' option, users can champion videos by selecting a button found under the current ‘like' feature. The action elevates videos on a leaderboard that highlights popular content.
Also this week, YouTube announced it will integrate Google DeepMind's Veo AI model into Shorts. Creators can now generate self-contained six-second video clips tailored specifically for Shorts. By selecting the “Create” function and providing a text prompt, the Dream Screen feature can produce four images, from which creators can choose one to convert into a video.
