GUWAHATI: YouTube is considering introducing a new ad format called "pause ads" for smart TVs, as announced during its Brandcast conference in spring 2023, as per reports.
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These ads would appear mid-stream when a viewer pauses their content, with the paused video shrinking to accommodate the advertisement.
Philipp Schindler, Google's Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer, noted during a recent earnings call that early testing in the first quarter showed promising results, with pause ads receiving premium pricing from advertisers and driving strong brand lift.
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While YouTube portrays pause ads as a less intrusive ad format compared to traditional ads, not everyone is convinced.
Some viewers worry about the interruption these ads may cause, especially when pausing content to attend to other tasks or responsibilities.
Questions arise about whether pause ads will play audio or video, and how viewers will interact with them.
Additionally, concerns are raised about the effectiveness of pause ads when viewers step away from the screen, rendering the ad message ineffective.
The introduction of pause ads also raises speculation about how ad blockers will adapt to this new format.
Google has been reportedly engaged in discussions with ad blocker providers for the past year, and the emergence of pause ads adds another layer to this ongoing dialogue.
The implications of this new initiative on both viewers and advertisers remain to be seen, as the debate over the efficacy and acceptability of pause ads continues.
