YouTube Users Report Seeing 3 Hours Long Un-Skippable Ads, YouTube Confirms It’s Not a Glitch

Highlights

• YouTube users report seeing unusually long, unskippable ads lasting from 57 minutes to 3 hours.
• These long unskippable ads are reportedly targeting users who are using ad blockers.
• YouTube confirms this is not a glitch and regular users can skip ads after 15 seconds.
• Ad-blocking users face these long ads to enforce YouTube’s Terms of Use.
• YouTube encourages users to disable ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.

It appears YouTube’s crackdown on users who use adblockers to enjoy ad-free content without a Premium subscription is getting serious. Some YouTube users on Reddit are reporting seeing unusually long, unskippable ads lasting anywhere from 57 minutes to a shocking 3 hours.

Screenshots shared on Reddit even show ads longer than the videos themselves leaving many users frustrated and wondering if this is a glitch or an intentional move by YouTube.

Some users noticed that the usual “Skip Ad” button was missing, while others found it appearing below the video instead of in the usual spot. This has led to speculation that adblockers might be interfering with how ads are displayed, potentially hiding the skip option or affecting ad duration.

YouTube Confirms 3 Hours Unskippable Ads Are Not A Glitch

YouTube confirmed that these long ads primarily target users with ad blockers. According to the company, regular users still have the option to skip ads after 15 seconds. YouTube also reiterated that ads help support content creators and that using ad blockers violates its Terms of Use.

“YouTube does not serve minutes-long, non-skippable ads,” said YouTube Communications Manager Oluwa Falodun while speaking to The Verge. Blaming the adblockers, Falodun further explained, “Viewers with ad blockers may experience a suboptimal viewing experience as some ad blockers distort the YouTube playback experience.”

The platform encourages users to either disable their ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.

YouTube’s Crackdown on Ad Blockers

YouTube has been ramping up its efforts against ad blockers in several ways including the following –

• Inserting ads when users pause videos.
• Slowing down YouTube for those with ad blockers.
• Limiting video views for ad-blocking users.
• Displaying pop-ups promoting YouTube Premium.

Reddit users have shared extreme cases with ads reported to be as long as 10 hours. One unverified claim even mentioned a 90-hour-long ad. A particularly frustrating case involved a 2-hour 52-minute ad before a 49-minute video. These reports have only added to speculation that adblockers may be affecting ad behaviour, causing longer and unskippable ads.

What Did Google Say?

Google confirmed that regular users typically see un-skippable ads of up to 15 seconds on mobile and 60 seconds on TV. However, they admitted that long ads specifically target ad-blocking users as part of a broader effort to curb ad evasion.

YouTube made it clear that users must either watch ads or pay for YouTube Premium hinting at even stricter measures in the future for persistent ad-blocking users.

FAQs

Q1. What are some YouTube users experiencing with ads?

Answer. Some YouTube users are reporting unusually long, un-skippable ads lasting from 57 minutes to 3 hours.

Q2. Why are some YouTube users seeing long unskippable ads?

Answer. YouTube confirmed that these long ads primarily target users with ad blockers. Regular users can skip ads after 15 seconds while ad-blocking users face longer ads as part of YouTube’s efforts to curb ad evasion.

Q3. What can users do to avoid long un-skippable ads on YouTube?

Answer. YouTube encourages users to either disable their ad blockers or subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.

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