YouTube Confirms 90-Second Non-Skippable Ad Timers Were a Bug, Fix Rolling Out
After widespread user outrage this week over reports of non-skippable 90-second ads on YouTube's TV apps, YouTube has confirmed the issue was caused by a bug that displayed inaccurate timers. A fix is currently rolling out.
What Happened
Users reported seeing 90-second countdown timers on non-skippable ads in YouTube's TV apps. The reports sparked significant backlash given that YouTube's official policy caps non-skippable ads at 30 seconds.
YouTube's Statement
"We've determined this was a result of a bug, which resulted in higher, inaccurate timers being shown for shorter ads. We're rolling out a fix now. As we've said, we don't have a 90 second non-skippable ad format and this was not a test."
Key Facts
- Non-skippable ads are officially capped at 30 seconds per YouTube policy
- The actual ads were shorter than 90 seconds -- only the timer display was wrong
- YouTube had previously denied this was any kind of test or new ad format
- The nature of the bug has not been specified
- Full deployment timeline for the fix is unclear
Why Users Were Skeptical
The timing fueled suspicion: YouTube had just raised Premium prices in the US, and users were already frustrated with increasing ad loads. A bug that made ads appear three times longer than policy allows struck many as too convenient to be accidental.
Context
YouTube Premium prices have been increasing globally. In the US, the price was quietly raised this week. Verizon customers are also paying more for the YouTube Premium perk. The combination of rising subscription costs and apparent ad format changes has pushed user trust to a low point.