YouTube confirms rollout of ads on pause screen

YouTube has officially announced that ads will now be displayed on users' pause screens, following successful tests that began in 2023.

The initiative began as a pilot program with a select group of advertisers and quickly proved popular and profitable for the platform. Although YouTube promotes pause ads as a way to provide a "less interruptive" experience, it did not specify whether the frequency of traditional ads would decrease.

This move aligns YouTube with other platforms like Hulu and Sling TV, which have also introduced pause ads. While YouTube aims to enhance user engagement, it remains to be seen how these ads will impact the viewing experience.

Notably, Sling TV recently introduced similar ads but allowed users to disable them in settings.