YouTube Kills 30-Second Unskippable Mobile Ads for Shorter and More Interactive Formats

Will stop selling in 2018

Longer isn’t necessarily better when it comes to mobile video. In a statement on Friday, YouTube said that it’s phasing out its 30-second unskippable ads for advertisers this year.

Beginning in 2018, brands will not be able to buy the 30-second ad format but can purchase other lengths of unskippable pre-roll ads like 20-second promos and 6-second bumper ads.

“We’re committed to providing a better ads experience for users online. As part of that, we’ve decided to stop supporting 30-second unskippable ads as of 2018 and focus instead on formats that work well for both users and advertisers,” said a YouTube spokesperson in an email.

According to Andrew Wohlwend, vp of advertising and sales operations at video analytics company Zefr, dropping 30-second mobile ads will boost engagement for other types of ads.

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