YouTube is finally taking away the unskippable 30-second video ads we see on its service. The downside is it’ll be happening starting next year. The streaming service acknowledges how unpopular these ads are, especially for data-capped mobile users, and are pushing towards new shorter format ads. One example is the six-second unskippable ad it launched last year.
The move, which won’t appease advertisers, is seen as one way to keep people on its service. According to Callum McCahon, strategy director for Born Social, "I’m reading this as a signal that YouTube is very worried about Facebook. We know that video is right at the very core of Facebook’s roadmap. Their video offering is becoming ever more attractive to brands by the day, and YouTube is panicking."
Source: Campaign