YouTube is now testing long, unskippable ads for viewers watching on TVs, and many users have expressed their surprise and frustration.
These days, you don’t need a computer to watch YouTube. You can easily use the mobile app or watch videos directly on your smart TV.
More and more people are choosing this option, particularly as they cancel cable or satellite TV. But even if you’re watching on a TV, you’ll likely still have to sit through ads during videos.
YouTube has started showing longer, unskippable ads – lasting over 90 seconds – to people watching on their TVs, and viewers aren’t happy about it.
YouTube’s unskippable long ads have finally hit TV users
On April 7th, many users on the r/YouTube subreddit noticed the appearance of ads that couldn’t be skipped while watching videos.
A Reddit user named Piggystick3 expressed outrage after seeing a lengthy advertisement – over 90 seconds long – during a 40-minute video they were watching. Another user said they were stunned when the ad appeared.
Many people are frustrated with the number of ads on YouTube. One viewer said they might as well watch regular TV instead, while another simply switched over to HBO Max after being annoyed by the ads and achieving a score of 70+ on their TV.
I’m speechless
byu/piggstick3 inyoutube
Some people believe YouTube is encouraging users to subscribe to YouTube Premium to avoid the increasing number of ads.
Watching YouTube on a TV is frustrating due to the ads. One person suggested getting a device to block them or subscribing to YouTube Premium. Another believes YouTube is intentionally making ads more annoying to push people towards paying for Premium.
So, Google told us back in March they were bringing back those annoying 30-second ads you couldn’t skip. But honestly, it feels like they’ve jumped ahead really fast, and now we’re getting way longer ad breaks than expected. It’s getting pretty frustrating when I’m just trying to jump into a game!
As a TV fan, I’m really excited about this! Soon, we’ll be able to actually ask the TV questions while we’re watching things – like getting instant answers about what’s happening on screen. They’re testing it out with people in different countries right now, which is awesome!
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2026-04-09 12:18