YouTube Confirms Ads Can Appear When Pausing Videos

In the past year, YouTube has done a lot in trying to make sure you watch those ads on its platform. A new step has been introduced, with a representative confirming its introduction as well. From now on, it will be possible for viewers to see ads when pausing videos.

In a statement to The Verge, YouTube comms manager Oluwa Fadolun says that ads can now show up on pause screens following “both strong advertiser and strong viewer response”. The report also notes that this has been tested with selected advertisers since 2023, which turned out to be a popular with advertisers while also bringing in big money for Google.

On one hand, it’s natural that ad companies would find the idea appealing, as any empty space, including YouTube’s pause screen, would foreseeably a spot for an advertisement. But on the flip side, considering the social media posts of the average user upon their discovery of the feature, it’s difficult to imagine the “strong viewer response” from the statement being a positive one.

Also, it’s not difficult to foresee the pause screen being a new home for ads giving rise to new problems. As someone who on occasion pauses videos on YouTube to get precise timestamps, either to rewatch later or share, this looks like it will be a pain point. It would also be interesting to see what will its interaction with ad blockers be like.

(Source: The Verge, Reddit [1], [2], [3], X)

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