YouTube ads are about to get even more annoying
YouTube ads can be annoying and disruptive. Most of the time, ads are shown at the start of the video. Depending on the length, they can be inserted into the middle as well. But now it looks like YouTube ads are going to be more annoying as they can now be interested whenever you pause the video as well.
In a statement to The Verge, YouTube comms manager Oluwa Falodun confirmed that this is something users can expect. According to Falodun, “As we’ve seen both strong advertiser and strong viewer response, we’ve since widely rolled out Pause ads to all advertisers.”
YouTube actually started testing this out back in 2023 with a limited selection of advertisers. It also wasn’t as widely available to all users, but recent reports suggest that it is starting to roll out to more users as we speak. We can’t say we blame them, though. Ads are one of the main ways YouTube generates revenue.
Plus, with users using ad blockers, they need to come up with ways to earn more money. Also, ads displayed on the pause screen mean that users will undoubtedly see it, unlike ads at the start or middle, where users can always choose to walk away.