YouTube has been under a microscope in recent months for increased ad frequency during videos and livestreams, whether purposeful or not. The most recent platform update affects livestream viewers by showing fewer ads under certain conditions.
YouTube recently announced a few changes to livestreams, but two in particular stand out. According to the press release, YouTube livestreams will now automatically show fewer ads to users who support creators with Super Chat, Super Sticker, or gift purchases.
YouTube says this recent update will automatically flag a supporting user with an ad-free window after a purchase. The change will affect creators who have automatic ads enabled, which is a default option.
When a fan shows support with a Super Chat, Super Stickers, or gifts, you want to thank them right away. To make sure that moment isn’t interrupted, we’ll be rolling out an update that automatically creates a personal ad-free window right after their purchase. Once live, it will automatically work for any creator who has automatic ads enabled, a great reason to make sure you’re set up.
Ad-free windows will also trigger when YouTube’s algorithm recognizes peak engagement. For instance, if a surge of user comments occurs at the same time, the livestream will disable ads for an undisclosed amount of time, preventing a break in the feed.
The company notes this sort of behavior destroys the “collective vibe.” This comes as the company has previously made changes to when ads appear, so as not to disrupt perceived momentum in videos. However, that adjustment meant that ads do appear after that moment dies off, which may be the case during livestreams, too.
This comes as the company recently addressed an issue where unskippable 90-second ads were appearing during videos. That issue was reportedly caused by a bug. YouTube addressed the bug after denying that long-form ads were being pushed to users without an option to skip forward.
It’s unclear how long these “ad-free windows” will last, and how often they’ll happen during any given livestream. It appears this update is now live.
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