[Issue Video] YouTube 'Mid-Roll Ads' Increasing... Netizens 'Frustrated'

YouTube "Recently Completed 'Short Ads' Experiment"
Expert: "Undesirable Behavior"

[Asia Economy PD Yoon Jin-geun] YouTube announced that it has completed an experiment of increasing the number of short ads instead of inserting longer ads. Upon hearing the news, netizens expressed concerns that this ad policy would be applied to users and criticized it by saying they would "stop using YouTube."

YouTube stated that it plans to provide a better experience for viewers by placing multiple short ads lasting 5 to 6 seconds rather than longer ads.

Photos recently shared by YouTube users on social networking services (SNS) and the community site Reddit. According to the photos, most have five or more ads, with up to ten ads displayed. Photo by Twitter, Reddit capture

A YouTube spokesperson told the overseas media outlet '9to5Google,' which covers Google-related news, in a statement that they have "completed a small-scale experiment (to reduce ad length and increase the number of ads)." Regarding this, '9to5Google' reported on the 16th (local time) that YouTube finished an experiment on the 16th that displayed more than 10 unskippable ads.

YouTube recently conducted an experiment showing some users more than 10 consecutive short-length "non-skippable ads." YouTube ads are broadly divided into "skippable ads," which have longer playtimes, and "non-skippable ads," which have shorter playtimes. Photo by YouTube ad settings screen capture

Netizens are showing critical views. American game streamer ‘Drift0r’ pointed out on Twitter on the 17th (local time), “YouTube is trying to insert up to 10 unskippable mid-roll ads,” adding, “If that actually happens, I will skip out on YouTube itself.”

Media strategist and writer Eric Benjamin Schiffer criticized, saying, “Ways to increase ad revenue include improving targeting, increasing reach, and lengthening ads,” and added, “Increasing the number of ads is the least desirable method.”