YouTube has decided that it is time to make a change to their offerings available to advertisers. Starting in 2018, the 30 second video ads that users are unable to skip will no longer be supported by the YouTube platform. Instead, YouTube will continue to focus on the success of the six-second bumper ads that have been available for roughly a year now
Originally, the 30 second ads were aimed at budgets set aside for television advertising, however, other platforms such as Snapchat and Facebook, are seeing more success with shorter, less traditional types of ads.
This change will only affect the 30 second videos, which means that advertisers will still be able to set their 20 second videos so that users will not be able to skip them.
One media agency said the move reflected the difference between online video and linear television services.
“The 30-second ad is a legacy from TV times,” said Will Smyth, head of media at the Agenda21 agency.
“It’s a standard TV unit which has been put online, but it’s not the most effective way to advertise.
“This will encourage advertisers to be more creative about the way they use the platform.”
A statement issued by a YouTube spokesperson stated, “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.”
