YouTube users have reported getting unskippable ads while watching videos on their TVs, and it’s left them “speechless.”
There are plenty of different ways to watch YouTube videos these days, which don’t involve sitting down with a computer and visiting the actual website. You can use the mobile app, or even watch it on your smart TV.
The latter option has become increasingly more popular, especially as people have started ditching traditional TV services. However, watching on TV doesn’t mean that you’re going to avoid the all-too-annoying adverts during videos.
In April, YouTube users began seeing 90-second-plus unskippable ads, and they’re not best pleased by that fact.
YouTube’s unskippable long ads have finally hit TV users
The arrival of unskippable ads for TV watchers was flagged by a number of users in the r/YouTube subreddit on April 7.
“I’m watching on tv, and this was on a 40-minute video. ” This is blasphemy,” Redditor Piggystick3 said, showing off a 90-second-plus advert popping up. “I instantly went speechless the moment I saw this,” another said.
“You may as well watch regular TV at that point. YouTube is so ridiculous with their ads,” another chimed in. “Got my first 70+ on my TV today. I just cut off the video and threw on HBO Max,” another added.
Others suggested that YouTube is pushing people to “bite the bullet” on purchasing YouTube Premium so that they are unaffected by the ads.
“Yeah, it’s simply not worth it to watch YouTube on the TV. You gotta fork it up for the big screen. Or buy YouTube Premium,” one said. “This is their game plan: make the ads more and more insufferable until you eventually bite the bullet and subscribe to Premium,” another added.
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Google confirmed that 30-second unskippable ads would be added back in March, but the 90-second version is a big leap.
YouTube claims it doesn’t have a 90-second unskippable ad format. “This isn’t something we are testing right now. We’re looking into this further,” the platform said.
It’s unclear why some users started to receive ads beyond the length offered by the Google-owned platform, but judging by YouTube’s comments, this appears to be some sort of glitch.
TV users will also be able to ask questions to AI during videos, with tests being rolled out to users in different markets.
