YouTube Will Stop Serving 30-Second Unskippable Video Ads

YouTube announced it will axe its 30-second unskippable video ads in an effort to provide a better advertising experience for online users.

According to a report first published by Campaign, the Google-owned video-sharing platform will retire the “bumper” ads next year.

“We’re committed to providing a better ads experience for users online. 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,” a YouTube spokesperson told Campaign.

Shorter Unskippable Video Ads will Remain

YouTube will, however, keep its shortest unskippable video ad format, a six-second ad option that was launched in April 2016. Other video formats that will remain are 15 and 20 seconds of unskippable ads. Considering that more than half of YouTube video views come from mobile users, the remaining unskippable ads can still negatively affect mobile consumers with a smaller data plan.

The good news, though, is that while users still won’t be able to skip some ads, the ads they can’t skip will be shorter. Brands will have to adjust and be more creative with their online video ads as YouTube and its parent company, Google, evidently believe it’s possible to tell your brand story in six seconds.

“The industry needs to improve the user experience of online advertising and this is one step in the right direction, based on consumer reaction and announced with sufficient notice to give advertisers and agencies time to adjust their plans,” said Phil Smith, director general of ISBA, one of the industry experts responding early to the news.