It looks like Google has started experimenting with showing advertisements whenever the video is paused. For the time being, this only affects owners of smart TVs.
We haven’t spotted any ads using YouTube on set-top boxes like the Apple TV and gaming consoles like the PlayStation. In 2023, YouTube on TVs brought unskippable 30-second ads. Then in April 2024, the company hinted it might start rolling out something called “pause-screen ads.” If this ad format proves successful, expect to see it appear on more smart TVs, set-top boxes, and game consoles.
People who have seen pause-screen ads took to Reddit and X to share their experiences. According to the reports, pausing the video being watched shrinks to create a vertical space on the righthand side where the ad appears. Below the video is a Dismiss button to close the ad and return to the video, as well as an Info button to learn more about the offer, product, or service.
YouTube already has plenty of ads, so this looks like yet another way Google wants to irritate people to the point where they would simply give up and subscribe to YouTube Premium. Starting at $14/month, YouTube Premium removes all advertising from the platform while bringing other perks, like offline downloads, background audio playback on mobile, and much more.
Affected people only reported seeing a pause-screen ad for Dunkin’ Donuts, indicating this is probably an experiment limited to a narrow subset of YouTube’s user base or certain companies. It’s also worth noting that YouTube is hardly alone in this. Variety noted last year that major streamers like Max, Hulu, and Peacock were starting showing pause ads more frequently to help boost their revenue.
Source: Tech-Issues Today, Twitter/X, Reddit, 9to5Google
