YouTube Experiments with Longer Commercial Breaks on TV Apps

YouTube is currently conducting trials on smart TVs, Apple TV, and game consoles to explore a new advertising strategy. The platform is testing the concept of reducing the frequency of ad breaks while extending their duration on these devices, collectively known as connected TV or CTV experiences.

The idea is to display ads in a way that fits better with each YouTube viewing environment. On mobile, you may be more inclined to watch content like Shorts in smaller chunks, so shorter, quick ad breaks may make more sense. However, YouTube points out that nearly two-thirds of CTV’s viewing time in the U.S. lasts at least 21 minutes — about the length of an episode of a TV series.

The service cites research showing that 79 percent of viewers would like YouTube to bundle ads together instead of spreading them across a longer video. As such, YouTube believes minimizing disruption is the way to go, and longer and fewer ad bars is one idea it’s trying.

It sounds a bit like the UK TV industry’s approach to advertising compared to how the US networks handle things. You might have time to make a cup of tea during Coronation Street’s commercial break in Blighty, but good luck with that between Stateside episodes of Grey’s Anatomy.

It’s unclear how YouTube plans to break things up, such as whether it will have a four-minute break per hour instead of a four-minute ad slot. The service also did not say whether it will show more ads if it moves forward with this plan.

Additionally, YouTube is looking for ways to be more transparent about the total length of ad breaks, rather than showing the remaining time for each individual spot. Romana Pawar, director of product management at YouTube Ads, wrote that the platform will soon be publicly testing a parallel ad experience — you’ll see how long you have to wait before you can skip the remaining ads.

YouTube has been tinkering with CTV ad formats for a while now. Earlier this year, it announced 30-second skippable ads for its TV apps. You can probably expect the service to continue experimenting with serving ads on different platforms. Alternatively, you can free yourself from the (seemingly less frequent) interruptions by getting YouTube Premium’s ad-free experience.