YouTube is planning to introduce 30-second unskippable ads in top-performing YouTube Content on TVs — you know, just like the commercials that have run on broadcast and cable networks for decades. Called “Pause Experiences” for viewers on TV screens, it will show an ad when a video is paused, similar to Hulu’s pause ads introduced four years ago.
This move comes as YouTube has become the most-watched service on TV screens in America, including both streaming platforms and traditional TV networks. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has called this shift a “seismic shift” in the way people watch video Content. The platform has exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market games package, starting with the 2023 football season, and the partnership will enlist MrBeast, the number one individual creator on YouTube, to create behind-the-scenes football content.
Viewers, particularly younger ones, no longer differentiate between the type of Content they watch and want everything they love in one place when they turn on the TV, from their favorite creators to blockbuster movies and football. YouTube is capitalizing on this shift by focusing on TV screens and becoming increasingly popular with viewers. The pause ads will be another way for YouTube to monetize its content and generate revenue from advertisers. The NFL partnership is also expected to boost YouTube’s user engagement and attract more football fans to the platform.
