14 DAY TRIAL // YouTube is as popular as ever and, despite some up and coming competitors, it is still synonymous with online video. It has just one problem, it isn't making any money. Ever since Google acquired the video site for a record sum it has been struggling to find a revenue stream to cover its astronomical hosting and bandwidth costs. The latest attempt has users choosing the type of ads they want to view, either one advertisement before the video or several while it plays.
Currently YouTube has two types of ads running with the videos – those that are overlaid at the bottom of the clip and those that play before, during or after the video. The program the team is experimenting with now would give users the opportunity to choose which type of ads they would like to see. “We are constantly testing a wide range of options to find the right advertising format for the right content on YouTube, and we think giving users a say in the process helps our efforts,” reads the announcement on the YouTube blog.
The test will only be available on a small number of videos and, according to some sources, only on the longer premium content – TV shows and the likes – that YouTube has been adding lately. Hulu has also been experimenting with a similar system, letting users choose if they want to see a longer pre-roll ad or several shorter ones during the video. This option makes more sense for longer clips, as many might choose to watch a longer ad at the beginning and then enjoy the show without interruptions.
Some have complained that YouTube has become unwatchable with ads and text inserts covering much of the screen sometimes. While nobody wants to see ads, YouTube has to earn a living somehow and it's good to see that it is interested in making it as painless for the users as it can be.