Remember when YouTube ads were just a brief, skippable annoyance that you could dismiss after five seconds? Simpler times… Now, YouTube is testing 30-second unskippable ads.

These new 30-second ads are specifically targeting TV screens, where you can’t easily install an ad blocker. Also, YouTube knows that when you’re watching on your phone, you might switch to TikTok or Instagram if the ads get too annoying. But on a Smart TV? That would mean finding the remote, navigating menus, and actually making an effort.

YouTube’s approach to advertising has become a masterclass in threading the needle between “maximizing revenue” and “not driving everyone to TikTok.” They’ve perfected the art of things just annoying enough to direct people toward Premium subscriptions, without pushing them off the platform entirely. Every new ad format, every extra second of forced waiting, every pause screen advertisement is essentially a Youtube Premium sales pitch disguised as user experience optimization.

But what YouTube is really testing isn’t just ad tolerance; it’s our collective relationship with patience in the digital age. The cruel irony? These ads are interrupting content we chose to watch for free, in an era where we’re paying for more subscriptions than ever before.

Mind you, YouTube’s creators are caught in the middle. More ads might mean more revenue, but fewer viewers willing to sit through them. And those who will suffer most are the ones making shorter content.

In a nutshell, if these 30-second unskippable ads test well, expect them to become the new normal within six months. YouTube’s pattern is clear: test on a small group, measure tolerance levels, then roll out globally.

You can read more here.