YouTube relies heavily on third-party advertisements for revenue. For this purpose, it features ads of varying length before and during the playback of numerous videos. However, it now appears that Google is killing off 30-second ads on YouTube and replacing them with more six-second ones.
In a statement to Campaign, a Google spokesperson stated that as a part of the company"s aim to provide better experiences for advertisers and viewers, it will be axing unskippable 30-second ads starting in 2018. The spokesperson said that:
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.
That said, Google has made it clear that while 30-second advertisements are on their way out, 20- and 15-second ones will still be featured. In fact, users may also notice an uptick in the frequency of the six-second "bumper" ads.
The company has been actively pushing for more advertisements on its platform. Nearly two years ago, it announced support for 360-degree advertisements, and while its hint at an increasing number of six-second bumper ads in the future may annoy many users, its decision likely makes sense from a business perspective, given the platform"s thin profit margins.
Source: Campaign