YouTube has decided to double up the number of ads users are required to watch before or in the middle of a video, Ad Age reports.
Although the new “ad pods” increase the length of advertising breaks by playing two consecutive ads at a time, it will decrease the number of ad breaks that will interrupt a video. (If two ads must be played, there would only be one ad break instead of two.)
“Users really like them,” VP of YouTube and video global solutions Debbie Weinstein told Ad Age. “They prefer to be interrupted fewer times.”
Some users, however, took to Twitter rebutting claims of satisfaction.
@YouTube This double ad thing isn't so great. Still get a lot of ads. I don't mind 1 ad before a video. We're used to that. But 2 ads really stinks :-( Hope you guys reverse that or make it so that it can be disabled.
— MattStopa (@MattStopa) November 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/ericspanton/status/1062928138047377408
https://twitter.com/5am_manring/status/1064952678298673154
But sometimes increased ads come with perks.
Last week, YouTube also announced that it would start letting viewers stream movies like Legally Blonde and Rocky for free with advertising intervals. You can find the full list of “Free to watch” (with ad) films here.
