YouTube debuts unskippable 30-second ads to target brands’ TV ad dollars

TV advertisers have a new commercial canvas to play with on YouTube, after the Google-owned video site introduced 30-second unskippable ads. YouTube debuted the new ad format as a lure for TV ad dollars during its Brandcast on Wednesday. The 30-second unskippable ads are a first for YouTube, which has long guarded its ad experience because viewers are hypersensitive about ad interruptions. YouTube was the pioneer of the skippable video ad unit, which gave viewers the ability to click away from commercials. As YouTube tries to position itself as more of a streaming TV play for major brands, it wanted to offer a 30-second spot that viewers couldn’t bypass. “We think 30-second ads are a staple of the TV industry,” said Sean Downey, president of Google’s ads business in the Americas. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs The 30-second ads only play when a viewer is watching on a TV screen, Downey said. Viewers on the YouTube website or app won’t get hit with them. The 30-second ads also only slightly differ from the experience viewers get when confronted with two 15-second ads at the top of some videos, Downey said. The 30-second spots are only open to brands that buy into YouTube Select, which is the ad package for brands that participate in upfront deals. YouTube Select ads are reserved for the “top 5%” of YouTube content—the creators with the most views and user engagement. For years, YouTube has been making the case to advertisers that its mix of creators, user-generated videos and premium publishers that post to the site make it an advertising landscape on par with TV. Also: TV networks' battle with YouTube fuels measurement debate Not all brands have agreed that creator content should command the same prices as prestige TV, though. That’s partly why YouTube has touted its presence in the living room, as more viewers stream videos to TV screens. At this year’s Brandcast, YouTube announced that it now has 150 million monthly viewers on TV screens. This week, YouTube also announced two new measurement partnerships with iSpot.tv and VideoAmp. YouTube also launched an ad unit that will appear on paused videos, which Downey said is in the testing phase. Pause ads have already been implemented by streaming rivals, including Disney, Roku, Amazon and NBCUniversal. As it vies for TV dollars, YouTube also competes in digital media with TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. And YouTube has been using Shorts to keep its footing in mobile video. Shorts are now at 50 billion-plus views a day—some of those views are actually coming on TVs, since YouTube started running the short-form videos in a tab on its TV app last year. Last year, YouTube moved the timing of Brandcast, which is a yearly showcase of new content and talent, to coincide with TV upfront presentations. Brandcast used to go head-to-head with digital media rivals at NewFronts. Now, YouTube hosts a separate NewFronts, and it uses Brandcast to talk with TV-oriented advertisers. “We think we’re firmly positioned in the upfront discussion,” Downey said, “because of the size of our audience, the quality of the content [and] the reach of the viewership.” Read more: YouTube puts Shorts at center of NewFronts pitch At Brandcast, YouTube had a new leadership team presenting after the departure of longtime CEO Susan Wojcicki last year. Neal Mohan stepped into the CEO role after more than seven years as YouTube’s chief product officer. YouTube has had some difficulty growing its advertising dollars, though, and last quarter ad revenue dropped 2.6% year over year to $6.7 billion. Creators and brands spoke at Brandcast, as did NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Last year, YouTube bought the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, the biggest lineup of NFL games to hit a streaming platform. YouTube sells subscriptions for Sunday Ticket, which gives viewers every out-of-market game on Sundays. That deal followed Amazon’s purchase of “Thursday Night Football,” which it started streaming on Prime Video last season. These NFL deals are becoming anchors for the streaming companies to impress sports advertisers, and they open opportunities for creators who create content to complement the NFL coverage. YouTube creators have special access to games and teams to produce videos. Some of those plans were on display at its presentation. Doja Cat also performed at Brandcast, which was held at Lincoln Center. The singer and artist has been active on YouTube for years, and this year she starred in Google’s Super Bowl commercial for the Pixel phone. Upfronts and NewFronts blog Tracking the latest TV and digital ad pitches Read more here

YouTube debuts unskippable 30-second ads to target brands’ TV ad dollars

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