YouTube to show users 5 unskippable ads instead of two before a video starts, currently testing feature

YouTube, the world’s largest video sharing platform, which is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc wants more people to join their YouTube Premium programme by paying. And so, to facilitate this, YouTube is currently testing showing users five unskippable ads before a video starts.

YouTube users who are not subscribed to YouTube Premium, will now receive up to 5 advertisements at the beginning of the video. And although YouTube claims that the ads shown in such spots will be bumper ads or basically, ads that are about 6 seconds in length, the reality is, people have seen ads that are longer than 10 seconds.

One user tweeted out, saying that they got to see about 11 ads instead of 5.

The news broke out when several YouTube’s regular or non-premium users started complaining on Twitter and Reddit that they have been receiving 5 ads instead of 2, before they could watch their YouTube video.

Not all regular YouTube viewers are dealing with the “5 ads before your video starts” situation, so it seems like YouTube is currently testing out the waters among selected users. As of now, most users of YouTube are only receiving up to 2 ads before their video starts, but it is not known whether the 5-ad format change will be rolled out to all non-paying YouTube users soon.

This move may lead to regular users towards adblockers and other “cracked” versions of YouTube. YouTube Vanced was one such modified third-party YouTube application for Android, that had its own ad blocker. 

This puts content creators in a precarious position, especially ones who don’t rely on brand deals and sponsorships. By increasing the number of unskippable ads that are being served, YouTube will be driving potential viewers away from creators who rely on ads, and ultimately from the platform itself. Moreover, if more people are forced to use adblockers in any way, content creators don’t get paid by Google Adsense.