Google says 'pause ads' pilot huge success, what this means for viewers

Get ready for even more ads when watching YouTube on your TV. The video giant has one more place to show you ads, forcing many to sit through ads even after watching unskippable pre-roll ads.

At YouTube's Brandcast event last year, the company revealed its " Pause ads " on smart TVs. These ads will pop up when viewers pause a video mid-stream.

The video you are watching will shrink, and an ad will appear next.

During Alphabet's latest earnings call, Google 's Philipp Schindler shared the positive results of an ad experiment the company has been running on YouTube.

Schindler noted that "In Q1, we saw strong traction from the introduction of pause ads pilot on connected TVs , a new non-interruptive ad format that appears when users pause their organic content."

He went on to share that YouTube's pause ads are "driving strong brand lift results" and "are commanding premium pricing from advertisers." Given Google's positivity about pause ads on YouTube, it is possible that the company will roll them out more widely once it has gathered enough data from its ongoing experiment.

YouTube tried to spin the new pause ad format as "seamless" and a way for brands to engage viewers in a "non-interruptive" way when they get up for snacks or bathroom breaks. But, more ads could frustrate YouTube's TV audience who are already under the onslaught of ads.

The only way to avoid the onslaught of commercial breaks will likely be to subscribe to YouTube's Rs 129 per month Premium ad-free tier.

The company didn't provide specifics on when the new "Pause ads' will roll out widely. However, YouTube made clear the moves are aimed at driving more revenue from TV viewers as YouTube consumption shifts to living room screens.