What you need to know
- YouTube highlighted an upcoming test that brings picture-in-picture viewing during mid-roll ads.
- The service intends to create a less disruptive experience as it continues its fight against ad blockers.
- YouTube’s war against ad blockers involved cutting users off from viewing its content if they had one while also testing new server-side ads.
YouTube is kickstarting a test for a limited group of users that might alleviate the headache surrounding its recent ad war.
On YouTube’s features and experiments page, the platform detailed the beginning of picture-in-picture (PIP) videos during mid-roll (via Android Authority). The post states that this feature will become available to creators, giving the option to enable picture-in-picture for ads played during their content.
YouTube didn’t make the specifics clear about this new PIP format for mid-roll ads. So, either the creator’s content will morph into a smaller display, leaving the ad to take over the player in full, or vice versa.
The service adds that the new format is intended to help creators facilitate a less disruptive experience for their viewers. Moreover, it seems that creators can find this new option within the “Monetization” settings of the Live Control Room.
“Some viewers on select devices” are said to experience the new PIP ad format in the months ahead. Those on mobile and desktop should keep their eyes out moving forward. YouTube creators should also gain the new mid-roll ad option around that same time.
Less disruptive ads would be a welcome sight, as mid-roll ads currently rip users away from their content. More importantly, this alternate method could be seen as a way for YouTube to make its strong stance on ads more palatable. The platform recently started cracking down on users packing an ad-blocker by cutting off the video stream if the website detects the add-on.
If they wanted their content back, users could whitelist YouTube or disable the ad-blocker altogether. The company gave ad-block users “three strikes” before they were banned from watching videos.
Google then reiterated how important ads are for YouTube, as they generate revenue for the platform, but watching ads supports your favorite creators.
YouTube’s efforts don’t end there, as it was spotted testing server-side ads just before the summer. The ads would appear as an “injection” into the video stream instead of appearing as a separate entity. The latter is how your ad-blocker would spot and keep them from sight. With injectable ads, ad-blockers would have difficulties sensing and blocking them.
Of course, users can always grab YouTube Premium, which is likely the road we’re pushed toward. However, we’ll have to see how this new, less disruptive mid-roll ad operates and whether we can stomach it.