YouTube is set to

discontinue the unskippable

30-second advertisements on its videos from 2018.

Google – the video-streaming site’s parent company – said it is dropping the ads in order to focus on “formats that work well for both users and advertisers”.

The move reflects a shift in content preference, with viewers finding the longer unskippable ads as a nuisance. It is even being attributed to a shift from linear television services to online video.  

Will Smyth, head of media at the Agenda21 agency, said: “The 30-second ad is a legacy from TV times. It’s a standard TV unit which has been put online, but it’s not the most effective way to advertise.

“[The change] will encourage advertisers to be more creative about the way they use the platform.”