YouTube refreshes the viewing and advertising experience on streaming platforms

Are you one of those people who immediately opens YouTube as soon as you turn on the TV? You are not alone. A recent Kantar survey revealed that more than half of weekly video viewers open YouTube as their first app on their TV. According to the latest Nielsen Gauge Report, YouTube has topped streaming time on connected TV (CTV) for nine consecutive months.

The reason for this is simple: viewers crave choice and variety. YouTube offers everything from music videos and sports to free movies and an endless stream of diverse content, all in one place and in every conceivable video format. However, viewing behavior is also changing. While YouTube still leads in mobile viewing time, watch time on the big screen is increasing. In the U.S., for example, 65% of YouTube CTV watch time is spent on content that is 21 minutes or longer.

That is why YouTube is also innovating the advertising experience on streaming platforms. They are introducing new, more interactive TV formats and tailoring their ads based on viewer feedback. Last year, the advertising experience was revamped, and this year new CTV-first formats were announced, such as unskippable 30-second ads and Pause experiences. Additionally, YouTube launched shoppable ads on CTV and an industry-first send-to-phone mechanism.

Viewers expect a different advertising experience depending on the content they are watching. Therefore, YouTube is evaluating new options that reduce the average interruptions for viewers. Think fewer, longer ad breaks. At the same time, they are exploring ways to give viewers more insight into the length of ad breaks.

YouTube continues to push the boundaries of streaming, always focused on providing the best experience for both viewers and advertisers. With over 700 million hours of YouTube content viewed daily on TV screens, the possibilities for innovative storytelling and advertising are endless.

[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop