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YouTube To Roll Out 6-Second Ads That You Can't Skip (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader writes: YouTube announced on Tuesday that it will be introducing an unskippable, 6-second bumper ads before certain videos. The video juggernaut says that these ads are largely aimed at mobile users. "We like to think of Bumper ads as little haikus of video ads -- and we're excited to see what the creative community will do with them," YouTube's Zach Lupei wrote in a blog post. The Verge reports, "The company justifies the short ads (which cannot be skipped, unlike longer spots) by pointing to research showing that 50 percent of 18 to 49-year-olds turn to mobile as their first option for consuming video -- and keep in mind a ton of that is music."

49 of 279 comments (clear)

  1. "cannot be skipped" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    *challenge accepted*

    1. Re:"cannot be skipped" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      They can make it 'unskippable' in the sense that you have to wait 6 seconds. However, a custom video player can blank the screen or something in that interval.

    2. Re:"cannot be skipped" by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We are inexorably marching towards Blipverts.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    3. Re:"cannot be skipped" by Rob+Y. · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Since they're already making you watch the first 6 seconds before the 'skip' button appears, it's more like they're accepting the fact that everyone hits the skip button at the first opportunity. At least this makes the advertisers attempt to be clever within the 6 second limit, and maybe could make for an interesting twitter-like ad experience. But if, once the skip button is gone, they start letting the ad length creep upward, that'll be the beginning of the end.

      --
      Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
    4. Re:"cannot be skipped" by infolation · · Score: 3

      Oh I'll skip it alright... I'll close the damn youtube window.

    5. Re:"cannot be skipped" by c · · Score: 3, Insightful

      it's more like they're accepting the fact that everyone hits the skip button at the first opportunity.

      People might be a lot less inclined to hit 'skip' right away if they cracked down on the loudness of ads. I'm finding with a lot of them (video game ads primarily) that I'm ignoring the ad content entirely because I'm hunting for the volume control, then immediately going for the skip button. Youtube audio levels are already variable enough without allowing the television loudness tricks to take hold, too.

      --
      Log in or piss off.
    6. Re:"cannot be skipped" by MitchDev · · Score: 5, Interesting

      6 seconds is long enough to add a product or service to my family's "Do not buy/do not do business with" list...

    7. Re:"cannot be skipped" by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

      I dunno... if Blipverts caused the people on reality television to start exploding, it might improve the planet somewhat.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    8. Re:"cannot be skipped" by John+Meacham · · Score: 2

      Except the advertiser does not pay when people skip.

      So it is in the advertisers best interest to have you skip if you are actually not interested in the ad, if they made a nice quiet ad, people might let it run without realizing it even if they are not interested and the advertiser is out money.

      --
      http://notanumber.net/
    9. Re:"cannot be skipped" by GrumpySteen · · Score: 5, Funny

      There Goes Honey Boo Boom

  2. Well yes duh by suso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How else did you think they were going to pay for all that bandwidth you consume watching 15 minute 4K videos of someone unboxing toys?

    1. Re:Well yes duh by mythosaz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Peering doesn't pay for hard drives and racks.

      I mean, selling your user data probably does, but....

    2. Re:Well yes duh by inode_buddha · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why should their business model (or lack thereof) be my problem?

      --
      C|N>K
    3. Re:Well yes duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because if their business model isn't sustanable they do crap like this to fix that?

    4. Re:Well yes duh by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's not. No-one's forcing you go to YouTube.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    5. Re:Well yes duh by inode_buddha · · Score: 2, Insightful

      *sigh* OK then I quit youtube altogether. Now how much are those advertising eyeballs worth? . In fact I *do* have a problem with it. Its not like these are poor little startups without any cash. I'll just send them a bill for the bandwidth maybe. And as far as the content creators go, none of the "how-to" community that I'm in, depends on ad revenue.

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      C|N>K
    6. Re:Well yes duh by Qzukk · · Score: 2

      This idea is as dumb as the idea the ISPs had where they could charge YouTube to graciously permit you to visit their website.

      Google has their ISP that they pay, you have your ISP that you pay, and various peering arrangements govern how the two ISPs talk to each other.

      This even applies if Google installs servers at your ISP's data center, the videos still have to be transferred to that server over the internet backbone. Google isn't going to have a person with a thumb drive walk over to Comcast HQ to upload the latest in cat videos.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    7. Re:Well yes duh by VanGarrett · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Your shit doesn't get covered with other people's ads unless you check the checkbox agreeing with YouTube to monetize your video, or if someone proves a copyright claim on your content, and chooses to monetize it, over taking it down. The point of the ads is to pay for the content, not the bandwidth.

    8. Re:Well yes duh by fafalone · · Score: 3, Informative

      Of course by "proves" you mean "claims with no evidence and simply has to say 'yes we own that' again with no evidence if you appeal, even if you prove they don't even own the copyright to what they're saying they do" right? Then if you attract enough attention through the media to get their PR department to notice, or hire a lawyer and start fighting just on principle, they might finally relent, but the false claimant gets to keep the revenue they've made in the first few weeks/months, which accounts for most of what will be made.
      And they're still not doing enough to stop infringement according to "rightsholders", who have access to the system to monetize/takedown videos under their control with no oversight or repercussions for false and even outright fraudulent claims.

  3. Marketing lingo by NoZart · · Score: 4, Funny

    i just love how they're "excited to see what the creative community will do with them" and all i hear is "yay, mo' money"

    1. Re:Marketing lingo by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

      marketing at its best.

      Well, YouTube's parent is an advertising company after all.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  4. What if you have YouTube Red? by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have Google Music so I get YouTube red for free so I don't think I am seeing ads. Even so a short ad instead of paying is not a bad deal. Now Hulu where I pay had have way too many ads sucks.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  5. Not new? by thevirtualcat · · Score: 4, Informative

    In my experience, mobile ads can't generally be skipped anyway.

    Sure, the "Skip" button is there, but the ad is usually mostly over by the time the YouTube app actually responds to the tap anyway. Especially when you get a Chromecast involved.

    1. Re:Not new? by thevirtualcat · · Score: 2

      Mute the sound for the first six seconds, then automatically pause if the tab isn't the active tab.

      For bonus points, automatically resume the video when you go back to that tab. (Changeable in the settings, of course.)

  6. Haikus of video ads? by olsmeister · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've got a Haiku for you.

    greedy company
    intrusive advertisements
    I'll watch somewhere else

    1. Re:Haikus of video ads? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      you feel entitled
      mad that they want some payment?
      do your job for free

  7. Xposed YouTube AdAway? by emil · · Score: 2

    I assume there will be an update in the near future.

  8. If you don't want me to watch it... by vanyel · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...go ahead and put ads in it. If the first thing I see is an ad, or one pops up, my immediate next click is on the window close button. I'm there for the content, and if you disrupt that, you're history as there's no point otherwise.

  9. Re:Caps? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Youtube is already bandwidth hogging. Don't use the service if you're unwilling to pay for it.

  10. Do we need to post Ars and Verge stories? by halivar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I go to Slashdot for first-source news; the same reason I go to Ars Technica and the Verge. The problem with linking stories on other news aggregation sites is you've increased the chances that I've already seen the story (and perhaps already commented on it) to just about 90%. Let's link the original source and skip the middle man (i.e. the competition).

  11. how do they, er, plan to make this work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    YouTube To Roll Out 6-Second Ads That You Can't Skip

    Well is that a fact?

    Well, at least, what's a bumper ad? I like it when there's a bumper crop. I enjoy bumper cars. I have no idea what a bumper ad is.

    Given the succinct nature of the format, we’ve seen Bumper ads work best when combined with a TrueView or Google Preferred campaign. In early tests, Bumpers drove strong lift in upper funnel metrics like recall, awareness and consideration. We also see that Bumpers work well to drive incremental reach and frequency when paired with a TrueView campaign.

    *snip*

    We like to think of Bumper ads as little haikus of video ads – and we’re excited to see what the creative community will do with them. You can use Bumpers beginning in May by talking to your Google sales representative, and stay tuned as we continue to roll out new ad formats that are uniquely adapted to the way people watch video now, and in the future.

    Huh???

    Ok, I'm being obtuse. Right before what I quoted it says they're 6 second ads. But WHAT are they and WHY are they unblockable? Are they in the video feed itself? If that's the case, I have an mplayer incantation for right after I do my youtube-dl incantation....

  12. The cycle continues... by CAIMLAS · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This same cycle has happened with many a lowly tech company; it's a fine line that google has been treading, but it's bound to happen with some of their services:

    Step 1: Create a product which has massive social appeal, operate in the red and make up for it in volume
    Step 2: IPO
    Step 3: Get massive speculative investment
    Step 4: Never turn a profit off your actual vehicle, merely use it as an avenue for...
    Step 5: Ad impression generation
    Step 6: Slow exodus of viewers
    Step 7: Increase ads to make up for exodus
    Step 8: Competitors step in to fill vacuum
    Step 9: Viable competitor presents itself, starts consuming market share
    Step 10: Eventual collapse of initial product, go to Step 1 for new competitor's product.

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    ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  13. Re:How is this different by Firethorn · · Score: 2

    I refuse to use the youtube ap on my stuff for this reason. I noticed that I get a lot more ads with it.

    --
    I don't read AC A human right
  14. Blipverts by ewhac · · Score: 2

    https://youtu.be/PJP-Ilw_xaY

    It seems YouTube is intent on becoming Network 23.

  15. Re:Slashdot by OrangeTide · · Score: 2

    Oh I blocked those years ago.

    R.I.P. Slashdot ad revenue.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  16. Not long enough by npslider · · Score: 4, Funny

    Darn! That's not long enough to make the trip to the bathroom, fridge, and back. Come on Google! Give me at least 30 seconds!

  17. So you advocate the opposite of net neutrality? by raymorris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > If YouTube wants money they can get it from the ISPs.

    So under your proposal, YouTube would charge ISPs for access to their site. As would Slashdot and all of the other free (advertising-supported) sites, I suppose. If your ISP doesn't pay up, you can;t access YouTube, correct?

    So you only get access to those sites that your ISP pays for. Obviously your ISP isn't going to jack around making contracts for $10/year to access HowToFixAppliances.com, or any of the other 99.99% of web sites that aren't in the top 500 most popular. So you get access to whichever portion of the Alexa top 500 that your ISP negotiates a satisfactory deal with, and nothing else.

    I don't care for that plan. What I prefer is that I buy access to the INTERNET as a whole, Slashdot, YouTube, and VeggieRecipes.com get access to the internet, and I can access any site. Time Warner and Comcast aren't involved with paying the bills for third-party web sites, and don't control what I can access.

    1. Re:So you advocate the opposite of net neutrality? by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I have a related problem with my carrier. I get internet access from a cable TV company. I don't subscribe to cable TV because I don't like paying all that money for what they offer. Now they (ISP/cable co) have refused a deal for cable TV channels controlled by Viacom. If I go to a site controlled by Viacom, like Comedy Central, Viacom gives me a message saying video playback is blocked by my ISP (a half truth at best) and I should contact the ISP to get it fixed. I got it fixed with a VPN, but as more people cut the cord I'm seeing various TV providers declining to allow playback without a proof of cable TV subscription... I hope web only content providers just kick ass on all these bone heads.

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  18. Could be worse by viperidaenz · · Score: 2

    My local news site has 15 second unskippable ads.
    The videos auto-play if you move your mouse cursor over them.
    They also make you watch the ad again if you replay the video.
    They then auto-play another random video that usually has nothing to do with the article you're reading.

  19. They are out of options by npslider · · Score: 2

    With more and more people using Ad Blockers, what other way is there to generate more revenue?

  20. Re: So... by slazzy · · Score: 4, Funny

    You'll get a small electric shock if you try that

    --
    Website Just Down For Me? Find out
  21. Re:Caps? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No, jackass, it's not free. Someone has to pay for it. Either you're the customer and you pay for it with cash, or you're the product and the advertisers pay the cash. Fuckoff with your "I deserve" bullshit.

  22. "largely aimed at mobile users" by wardrich86 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "largely aimed at mobile users"

    Yes thanks, because I have so much fucking mobile data to begin with, and it's soooooooo cheap.

    fucking asswipes. Glad my phone's out of warranty soon so I can root it and install AdAway again.

  23. Re: So... by CCarrot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You'll get a small electric shock if you try that

    More like the ad conveniently auto-pauses for you whenever the face recognition detects that you are looking elsewhere...so helpful! Also mandatory, so yay!

    --
    "I love animals! Some are cute, others are tasty, what's not to like?" - Betsy Schroeder, Jeopardy contestant
  24. Already get unskippable ads by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 2

    Already get 12 to 30 second unskippable ads on the youtube app on android. It's infuriating. 5 or 6 seconds is ok but up to half a minute? Get fucked.

    I cancel and try to play the vid again a few times, and if it still won't let me watch it without being forced to see this 30 second unskippable ad I just skip the video completely and don't bother.

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  25. AKA YouTube to forcibly market Youtube Red by maugle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Hey, there's still not enough people signing up for YouTube Red"
    "OK, hit the button marked 'Make Regular YouTube Slightly Shittier' once or twice"

  26. Criminal enterprise needs more money by shanen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah, that thing with bumping the volume on the ads is especially annoying and especially abused by a couple of scam companies that use loud sirens or screeches to insure they have my attention. And hatred.

    What I can't understand is the financial model driving their insane rudeness. I am not aware of ANY ad on YouTube that represented ANY product or service that I would ever consider buying--and if I did remember their ad, it would insure I would try much harder NOT to buy it even if I thought I had a use for it. Whatever it is.

    There must be some aliens among us who respond to the ads?

    Anyway, the real problem is that YouTube itself is a criminal enterprise. Every week for the last few years I do an obvious search to see scam results. There are two to five legitimate results buried in several pages of scam results. How is it benefiting YouTube or the google to assist the scammers in pwning YOUR computer? I still can't figure it, but it obviously isn't going away any time soon. (There are several obvious countermeasures, but YouTube only took one baby step in the last few years.)

    --
    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
  27. TANSTAAFL by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

    There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. If you thought Google was your friend or sends you free videos to make you happy, or isn't evil, you have another think coming. It's going to get worse from here, much worse. Get used to it: you are Google's money pump, nothing more. The first one is always free.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  28. They already have unskippable ads by Wizarth · · Score: 2

    It might depend what country you're in, but here in Australia they already have adverts up to 30 second long (usually 15) that are unskippable. I don't know what proportion these are in comparison to skippable adverts, but I -wish- they'd go down to 6 seconds long.

    (Yes, I have an adblocker, I leave it off for Youtube because ad impressions = income for the creators of the series I'm watching.)