Google has found another way to turn user gazes into cash: turning paused YouTube videos into new ad space. A communications manager for YouTube told The Verge that they’ve seen “a positive response from advertisers and reviewers since we rolled out pause ads to all advertisers.”
YouTube has begun discussing the use of ads in pause screens with some advertisers in 2023. Google Chief Business Officer Philip Schindler said last April that advertisers liked the new ad concept. YouTube viewers have not been as keen on the idea.
Reddit users have been posting screenshots of the new pause screen ads, and to say they’re not happy with them is the biggest understatement of the year.
The new ads won’t just appear on the website: They’ll also appear when you pause a video on YouTube’s mobile app, other users of the site said.
Pause-screen ads aren’t a new concept: Streaming services like AT&T’s DirecTV and Hulu show ads when the screen is paused if you’re on one of their lower-tier subscription plans. Some Amazon products, like Fire tablets, also show ads on the lock screen, and Amazon announced plans to expand its offering of ad space for living room devices in May of last year, according to an official Amazon blog.
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