Desktop users of YouTube will no longer see “overlay ads” which are displayed on top of videos, starting April 6. These ads are considered bothersome and even YouTube’s team agrees they should be removed.
As a result, the option to use this type of ad will be removed from YouTube Studio as well, meaning creators will not be able to add it either. However, the impact on most creators is expected to be minimal, as the ads will be replaced by other formats.
While overlay ads were previously seen on mobile devices, they were removed some time ago without any significant objection. It remains uncertain what will replace these ads on desktop, but it’s expected that emphasis will shift towards pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads.
These will include the usual skippable video ads, non-skippable ads, and bumper ads, which are played before and during a video for up to 5 seconds or longer. They will continue to exist on computers, smartphones, TVs, and game consoles.
For additional information, you can head over to YouTube Help or visit this page to review the three types of ads that will still be available after April 6.
