YouTube will remove its 30-second-long “unskippable” advertisements from its service in 2018, BBC reported on Monday. In a statement, Google said that it wanted to focus on advertising formats that “work well for both users and advertisers”. The ads usually play before the beginning of a video, with more popular videos on the service commanding higher prices.
Media analysts said the move heightened the differences between traditional and online advertising. Head of Media at advertising agency Agenda21 Will Smyth said the 30-second ad format “is a legacy from TV times”. “It’s a standard TV unit which has been put online, but it’s not the most effective way to advertise,” Smyth said, “This will encourage advertisers to be more creative about the way they use the platform.”
Google also experiments with other ad formats on YouTube, including through five-second snippets that play before a video begins. However, the company has been dealing with competition from other companies including Facebook. Google has also helped video producers gain views through advertising and programming deals.
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